Maple Pecan Wreath Bread

Dough

1. In a small bowl, add in the milk, maple syrup, and yeast. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Pour the yeast mixture in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
3. Add in the egg, salt, one cup of flour, and melted butter. Beat until combined.
4. Slowly add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with the hook or by hand for 5-8 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth.
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or drape a tea towel over the bowl.
6. Place the dough in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
8. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Filling

1. Add the butter, maple syrup, light brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
2. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead just until the air bubbles are removed.
3. Roll the dough out evenly into a large rectangle.
4. Evenly spread the filling, leaving about 1/2 inch of the dough around the edges bare.
5. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the filling.
6. Starting on the long side, roll up the dough tightly to form a log.
7. Transfer the log to the parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Using a sharp knife or clean scissors, cut the log longwise, leaving one inch of dough at the end of the log whole.
9. Twist the two strands about 5 to 6 times and then shape it into a wreath. around themselves, then form a wreath. Pinch the ends together to seal.
10. Cover the wreath loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until soft and nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
11. While the bread is doing it’s final rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to brown up too much before the bread is done, you can loosely cover it with tin foil. To check for doneness, gently pull on the bread at the center of the wreath where it’s the thickest. If it still appears doughy, bake longer.
13. When the bread is done, remove it from the oven and brush it with maple syrup until coated and allow to cool.

Glaze

1. In a small bowl, add in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Whisk until combined and smooth.
2. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled wreath.
3. Cut and serve.