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Sri Lankan Christmas Breudher Recipe
Rated 3.5 stars by 21 users
Servings
10
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
40 minutes
Sri Lankan Breudher recipe is a Sri Lankan dutch burgher buttery yeast cake baked inside a bunt cake mould. This bread cake is a cross between bread and cake. Firstly, bread dough is made then the bread dough is transformed into a cake. It’s so soft and buttery, filled with sultana and candied peel. I just can eat this every day for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Sri Lankan Breudher and my childhood
Definitely coming from a burgher background from my mum’s side, Breudher was a must at home for us, but my mum never made breudher at home and neither did my grandmother. We always bought it from Hilton, and my grandma bought it from Perera and sons. I am assuming many people don’t make this at home, because it is quite a process and also a bit difficult because not many recipes out there give proper instructions. To be honest most of these Christmas recipes are guarded secrets and not everyone likes to give them out.
Now I know many of my readers are so used to the Perera and sons version of the breudher but what if I told you the Hilton hotel breudher cake was to die for, it is so buttery, so soft and when compared to the Perera and sons one it definitely rated far superior.
How do I know?, because I ate Hilton breudher cake every year at home and also ate the Perera and sons version at my grandmother’s place. Now, why am I comparing all these breudhers? hmmm, that’s because I am going to give you the Hilton hotels version of the breudher recipe. How can I do that?? Well, Hilton is where I did my first internship at, and I was very lucky to work during Christmas and learn all the yummy recipes.
When I worked in the pastry kitchen during Christmas at Hilton, it was the busiest time of the year. The breudher, stollen (German fruit cake) Christmas cookies making process will start 2 months in advance. The chefs would also make a huge gingerbread house, which is where all the Christmas goodies are sold. I was very fortunate enough to be involved in all these activities. I can assure you making a huge gingerbread house was a lot of hard work. Well getting back to the breudher. I have to give credit of this recipe to Hilton Colombo. I am making minor tweaks but the base is definitely what I learnt at Hilton.
This recipe is not given any where, I searched the internet and looked in all most all recipe books, no one has this recipe, so if i see this recipe copied anywhere, I would definitely know its my recipe!!! hahahhahah But if you do make this recipe and genuinely love it as much as I do. Please leave a comment and star rating under the recipe and also share with me, as nothing else would make me happy than seeing my recipes recreated by you all.
Sri-Lankan Breudher recipe origin
Like all other Christmas recipes I have published, the Christmas cake, Love cake this too is a dutch burgher influenced recipe, it is believed that this cake was originated from the dutch cakes for breakfast. Thank god for the colonization in Sri Lanka we have a few recipes that we can call truly Sri Lankan Christmas recipes!!! ( The dutch colonized Sri Lanka during the 17th Century)
The word breudher is from the Dutch word, brood-tulband, referring to the fluted turban-shaped mould that is used to bake the cake in.
Sri Lankan Breudher pronunciation
Pronounced as broo-dhuh)
How to eat Sri Lankan breudher
I personally like to eat it plain, but I have seen and heard many people use the below condiments to eat breudher.
Topped with Edam cheese
Spread with Butter
Topped with Banana
Spread with Jam
This cake can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
How long in advance can you make Sri Lankan breudher
In Hotels, we definitely make it months in advance and we freeze it and thaw accordingly, but I haven’t tried freezing it at home, and I believe nothing can beat a freshly made breudher. But I have tried keeping it more than a week and it dried out a little. I recommend making it 2-3 days in advance, so it will have the best eating quality.
How to store Sri Lankan breudher
This product needs to be tightly wrapped in cling film and stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. If you have a cake board, place it on top of a cake board and tightly wrap it with cling wrap.
When do you eat Sri Lankan breudher
Its mostly eaten during the festive time, especially for Christmas breakfast and also the new year.
How long does it take for the bread dough to rise?
So many people ask how long does it take to rise, the simple answer is, it depends from country to country, place to place, season to Season.
Warmer the country, place, season quicker the rise. Melbourne is quite cold most of the time so it takes me someday 3-4 hours for the first rise (When it is raining and very cold).
How long to soak the fruits
I call this soak but it’s mixed with rose water and spices. Usually, in hotels this is actually is mixed for 1 month, but you can do this for 3-4 days if not 1 week as well.
Can I make Sri lankan breudher without the fruits
You definitely can. If you like to omit the candied peel, you can do that too. but trust me. It’s not like the ordinary breudher you have tasted before, the fruits are actually sooo flavoursome with all the rose water and spices, you definitely would want to add it. I don’t like a lot of fruit too. so my breudher actually has the fruits only on the top part. If you want raisins all around the cake, then reserve some fruits and add the batter to the mould, and halfway through sprinkle the fruits then pour the batter again.
Tip and tricks to get the perfect Sri Lankan Breudher cake
The trickiest part is making the bread dough. Trust me making bread is hard. But my step by step guide should guide you all the way. Make sure you give ample time for the rising process. If you don’t rise the bread and the breudher batter, you will end up with a dense cake. so make sure it rises properly.
Rachi
Ingredients
-
Oven
-
Bread Dough hook and whisk attachment of the cake mixer
- 300 g White caster sugar
-
250 ml Water Tap
- 120 g Sultana
-
40 g Candied peel
-
1/2 tsp Allspice powder
-
1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder
-
2 tsp Rosewater
-
3 tsp Sugar syrup ( Made above- Step 1)
- 350 g All-purpose flour
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2 tsp White caster sugar
-
2 tsp Instant yeast
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1/2 tsp Salt
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1 Egg
-
250 g Milk Fresh
- 625 g Soft roll dough ( Made above- Step 3)
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6 Egg yolk
-
104 g Butter Unsalted
-
208 g Brown sugar Dark brown sugar if available
-
7 g Baking soda
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40 g Fresh milk
-
83 g Golden syrup
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180 g Fruit mix ( Whole quantity that was made above) (Made above-Step 2)
Equipment
Sugar syrup (Step 1)
Fruit Mix (Step 2)
Soft roll dough (Step 3 )
Breudher batter (Step 4)
Directions
Sugar syrup (Step 1)
Make a sugar syrup, by combining sugar and water, leave on a low to medium fire until it is reduced and is a syrup consistency. Take it off the fire and let it cool down. Make the mixture at least 1 day before
Note this will be a big batch of sugar syrup, I usually make it and keep it in a bottle to use for cocktails, you can adjust the recipe as preferred.
Fruit mix (Step 2)
In a small bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned in the fruit mix, mix them together, cover with a cling wrap, leave in a cool dry place for at least one week ( 7 days) if you dont' have enough time 3-4 days would be sufficient as well.
Soft roll dough (Step 3)
Use a bread mixer if you have one, if not use your hands to make the bread dough. Add the yeast, sugar, half of the warm milk ( microwave the milk, just so it's warm but not boiling, if it is too hot it will kill the yeast which in turn the bread will not rise) into the mixing bowl and mix well and leave aside for 10 mins until it froths
Once the yeast has froth add all other ingredients listed under the bread dough recipe including the rest of the milk into the mixing bowl and mix well with the dough hook attachment on a medium speed for about 5-6 minutes until a dough is formed. if it is still too sticky, sprinkle a bit of flour
( All flour types are different and absorb moisture differently, you might end up using a bit more flour than specified in the recipe)If using hands, knead the dough in a flat surface for about 10 minutes until a dough is formed.
Leave it inside a bowl cover with a damp cloth in a warm area until doubled in size.
Please read the article above regarding timing of the dough to rise
Breudher cake batter (Step 4)
In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, add butter, brown sugar mix well until creamy Then add egg yolks gradually until creamy.
Then add the bread dough which has doubled in size ( piece by piece) until everything is well incorporated.
In a small bowl mix together Milk, golden syrup and baking soda with a spoon, then add this mixture into the batter.
Then finally add the soaked fruits and incorporate well.
If you have oil spray, spray it all over the mould, if not apply canola oil with a brush inside the mould ( This is so that the breudher unmould easily) Pour the mixture into a bunt mould ( 3/4 of the mould as the cake will rise when cooking as well) cover with a damp cloth, let it rise in a warm area. ( around 30-40 mins)
Preheat oven to 175C (conventional oven)
Once doubled in size bake it in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes. If the top gets too brown cover a foil and keep baking
Take it off the oven, let it rest inside the mould, once cooled down unmould the cake into a plate and enjoy.
