South Tyrolean Christmas fruit bread dense with nuts, dried fruits, and honey. This alpine mediterranean holiday bread is a family tradition during the festive season.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and let stand for 10 minutes until frothy.
Add the all-purpose flour, eggs, butter, honey, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves to the yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly to form a soft dough.
Fold in the chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, figs, apricots, and candied citrus peel; knead gently until evenly distributed. Maintain a moist, sticky dough texture.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm environment for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape the dough into a round or oval loaf, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 40–45 minutes until the crust is golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Cool completely before slicing to allow the dense texture and moisture to settle for a traditional festive finish.