Thanksgiving Russian Loaf – Hazelnut & Citrus
Da Cipriano · Holiday Baking
Thanksgiving
Russian Loaf
Made by Alessandro Cipriano
A festive twisted loaf filled with hazelnuts, apple, cinnamon, sultanas and fresh citrus — finished with a delicate lemon glaze.
A festive bake for the season
Tradition with a personal touch
Every year, I look forward to Thanksgiving. I love the tradition of
gathering around the table and the freedom it gives me to spend time
in the kitchen, revisit familiar recipes and try something new.
For this version, I have taken a traditional Russian Loaf and given it
my own seasonal touch — with hazelnuts, apple, cinnamon and fresh citrus.
The Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 300 g white flour, sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- 40 g sugar
- 60 g butter, softened
- ½ cube fresh yeast, crumbled
- 150 ml milk, lukewarm
For the Filling
- 150 g ground hazelnuts
- 80 g sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 40 g sultanas
- 1 small apple, grated with the skin
- 50 ml cream
- Zest of ½ orange
- Juice of ½ orange
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the Glaze
- 40 g icing sugar
- 10 g fresh lemon juice
How to make it
Method
Prepare the dough
Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the softened
butter in small pieces. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk
and pour it into the flour mixture.
Mix everything together, then knead until the dough is soft,
smooth and elastic. Place it in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth
and leave to rise at room temperature for approximately 1 hour,
or until doubled in volume.
Prepare the filling
Combine the ground hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon, sultanas,
grated apple, cream, orange zest and juice, and lemon zest
and juice.
Mix thoroughly until evenly combined, then leave the filling
to rest for approximately 30 minutes.
Roll and fill
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to form
a rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough,
leaving approximately a 1 cm border around the edges.
Roll up the dough from the narrow side to create a compact,
even roll.
Create the signature twist
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roll in half lengthwise.
Turn the cut surfaces upwards so that the layers of filling
remain visible.
Twist the two halves together into a spiral, keeping the
exposed filling facing upwards as much as possible.
Let the loaf rise again
Place the twisted loaf into a baking tin lined with baking paper.
Cover loosely and leave to rise at room temperature for another
60 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C using the convection setting.
Bake until beautifully golden
Bake the Russian Loaf in the preheated oven for approximately
40 minutes, until deeply golden and baked through.
Remove from the oven and leave it in the tin briefly while
preparing the lemon glaze.
The finishing touch
Mix the icing sugar with the fresh lemon juice until smooth
and free of lumps. Lightly brush the glaze over the loaf while
it is still warm, then allow it to cool.
Slice, serve and enjoy with tea or coffee.