♪♪ ♪♪ Christmas is celebrated all over the world.

And different cultures have their own ways of making Christmas special, often with a special food served at a special time.

In the Czech Republic, it is Vanocka, a sweet braided bread served on Christmas Eve.

♪♪ Charity Nebbe: Now I am here in the kitchen with Tom Slepicka in Cedar Rapids.

And we are making this sweet braided bread.

This is from the Czech Republic.

But a lot of European countries have sweet braided breads.

What makes this one special?

Tom Slepicka: You're totally correct.

This one makes special a few things.

First of all it is maybe slightly sweeter than some and there is very important, very light undertones of the lemon zest and also vanilla extract.

So it is kind of a nice aroma, nice texture, nice flavor and it is absolutely perfect for any kind of just by itself or with butter or preserve or marmalade.

Charity Nebbe: Nice.

So it has a unique flavor, but it also has a long and unique history, right?

Tom Slepicka: Yes.

This one has a history going back to the 14th century when it was first mentioned.

The Monks in the monastery invented this braided bread which is supposed to resemble the covered Baby Jesus.

Charity Nebbe: Oh, Jesus in the swaddling.

Tom Slepicka: Yes, right.

And then in the 16th century it became a dessert or so-called sweet bread I guess, which was allowed to be made just by certified master bakers.

So nobody else could supposedly do it.

But in the 18th century it became mainstream and people were allowed to make it at home.

And there is a lot of interesting facts that when Czech people actually make them they have a lot of habits for good luck.

Charity Nebbe: So that it will turn out okay?

Tom Slepicka: Yes, so sometimes they're jumping between certain steps or standing on one leg when the dough is rising.

Charity Nebbe: And you are going to demystify the process for us.

Show us how we get started.

Tom Slepicka: So first we need to create a leaven which will kind of activate our dough in the next step.

And it is actually very simple.

I have here warm milk.

Tom Slepicka: Active dry yeast.

Powdered sugar -- Charity Nebbe: Yeast loves sugar.

Tom Slepicka: Yes.

And some bread flour, all purpose flour can be used as well.

And now we will give it a nice stir until everything fully combines and then we will have to wait about 15 to 30 minutes until the leaven doubles.

And when it doubles we can do the dough.

Charity Nebbe: Okay.

And we also have to get the raisins ready to go in.

You don't just dump raisins into your dough.

Tom Slepicka: I mean, you can if you want to.

But the best is to take raisins and let them marinate, or I should say soak, with rum.

♪♪ Charity Nebbe: Oh yeah, that looks like there has been a lot going on in there.

Tom Slepicka: Right, it's about double and it is ready to be put to our dough soon.

But first we need to cream our butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs.

Charity Nebbe: All right, perfect.

And this almost looks like making cookies.

Tom Slepicka: Right.

So I will start with eggs.

I like to crack eggs on the edge just like that.

Sometimes people like a flat surface.

Either works.

And next, we put in the butter.

And it is very important for butter to be room temperature as well as eggs so it's nice -- Charity Nebbe: All right, so the eggs have been sitting out to get up to temperature, the butter has been sitting out.

That is great.

Tom Slepicka: Yeah.

And then a little bit of vanilla extract, which is very important.

And finally, granulated sugar.

♪♪ ♪♪ Charity Nebbe: So, as we're putting these things together, tell me what you remember about this bread from when you were little.

Tom Slepicka: I have a very great memory of my childhood because we still own in Czech Republic nice, large family house, which is typical of a lot of houses there that it is split to few apartments, a few independent apartments.

And my grandma while she was still alive she used to live in the bottom one and every Christmas I remember this absolutely perfect smell which came from the house when she actually put loaves of this bread outside for all family members.

So it was very, it has a very special memory and I really enjoy it.

Charity Nebbe: So when you smell it, it makes you feel like a little boy again?

Tom Slepicka: Right, exactly.

That's exactly what I have in my mind every time I am preparing this with my daughters right now.

And this bread is more than just bread, it is a symbol of Christmas.

It is something special which puts family together and which makes us all realize that is here.

Charity Nebbe: That is so special.

Tom Slepicka: A little bit of milk, which we preheated.

Charity Nebbe: And this is one of the special ingredients that makes it unique, right?

Tom Slepicka: One of the other special ingredients, you are totally correct.

♪♪ Tom Slepicka: At first slow.

♪♪ Tom Slepicka: And when the ball is clean, kind of, that is when the dough is ready.

And it has a little sticky texture but not very much, it doesn't leave residue.

And we need one more thing, we need to add the raisins.

And if you have any rum left we don't worry about it.

We eat it all anyway.

Charity Nebbe: Okay.

Tom Slepicka: So just put it there and now it will be just a minute until it is incorporated.

♪♪ Tom Slepicka: Our dough is ready and it needs that two to three hours, maybe even a little more, rest in the preferably warm place.

Charity Nebbe: Okay, well let's give this dough some time.

♪♪ Charity Nebbe: All right, the dough has proofed and now you are ready to shape.

And this is the fun part, right?

Tom Slepicka: Right.

That is when the magic happens.

Charity Nebbe: Great, well show us what to do.

Tom Slepicka: So I have one dough and I have it on a lightly floured surface.

And I will just split it to six even pieces.

You can even use a scale if you want to, but I will just eyeball it.

If one is a little longer than the other it doesn't matter.

And then what we're going to do, we need to roll them to long strands and as long as possible in a way, but it should be in general about 14 inches for the size of the loaf.

And I will first put them on the side and then when all of them are rolled we are going to put them in the special position and start braiding.

Charity Nebbe: Wonderful, so a six-strand braid.

♪♪ Tom Slepicka: So three on one side, three on the other side.

And before we start it is very important to have this end pinched together very well.

And now we kind of cross our hands and will do a motion.

And first we will take these two strands and we will turn it over each other and then place it to the right.

And then while we are on the right, we take the next one and place it to the other on the left and the next one go this direction.

So if you're always going left, right, left, right, that is how it's going.

And then we take one and move it right there and then again take one and moving to the other side.

So you're always having that nice split.

♪♪ ♪♪ Tom Slepicka: When you get to this end you just kind of put it under because you don't want it, you can squeeze it with your fingers and this is our Vanocka.

If you don't mind to give me the baking sheet first.

Charity Nebbe: Of course, yes.

Tom Slepicka: Thank you.

And I will put it right there.

And now we need this Vanocka to proof for about an hour or so until it is double and when it is double I will bake it.

And before I let it rest, I will just brush it with egg and milk mixture.

Charity Nebbe: All right, and this is going to make it beautiful and shiny.

Tom Slepicka: Right.

♪♪ Charity Nebbe: All right.

The dough has been proofing for 60 minutes.

It is big and beautiful.

That's wonderful.

Tom Slepicka: And now we just have to bake it.

But before we do so, I will use the rest, or at least part of the rest of the milk and egg brush and I want to nicely brush it.

That will make it actually very shiny product in the end.

Charity Nebbe: Okay.

And then when we do bake it, how long do we bake it for?

Tom Slepicka: First 15 minutes about 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then the next 45 minutes in 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

And it is important to apply the toothpick test.

You can do it even a few minutes before the 60 minute interval to find out if it is maybe already done or if it needs maybe a few more minutes over that 60 minutes.

Charity Nebbe: Okay.

Wonderful.

Let's put it in the oven.

Tom Slepicka: Sounds good.

♪♪ Charity Nebbe: Now we get to try it, right?

Tom Slepicka: Let's do it.

Charity Nebbe: All right.

Tom Slepicka: Cut the end piece.

Charity Nebbe: Oh wonderful, thank you.

Charity Nebbe: It's sweet and that raisin, rum raisin taste is very distinctive.

This reminds me of some other sweet breads I've had but now I know this is what a Czech sweet bread tastes like.

This is wonderful.

Tom, thank you so much.

Tom Slepicka: Thank you very much.

♪♪