11 Holiday Breads to Bake Your Season Bright

As Christmas music begins to pop up everywhere, my thoughts and plans turn to Christmas bread and all the traditional breads served around the winter holidays. I wanted to put together a list of fluffy, flavorful, festive breads from around the world. While this is not, by any means, a comprehensive holiday bread recipe collection, my hope is to update it with more recipes every year.

Coming from Italian, French, Mexican, and Spanish descent, breads of all shapes, sizes, and colors have figured into every single holiday celebration that I can remember. As I grapple with the conflicts that peppered my childhood and scared me off from various parts of my cultural heritage, I find myself drawn to traditions that brought me joy in those tumultuous years. And that leads me squarely into my kitchen, Christmas sweater dusted with flour, arms sore from kneading loaf after loaf (I'm kidding—ya boi has three stand mixers for a reason), a nose full of the scents of the season: cinnamon, orange, clove, ginger, dried fruit, and cardamom.

While I'll certainly relish in reliving the fond memories of my youth by taking on the all-consuming projects of panettone and rosca de reyes (and its not-too-distant cousin, king cake), I might just try whipping up a batch of ensaymadas or a stunning bolbaki this year.

So whether you’re also trying to get in touch with your food heritage, or you just want to bake something delicious this holiday season, read on for a list of fun and meaningful bakes that’ll fill your home with cheer.