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Freeze-Ahead Swedish Tea Ring for Christmas Morning

Swedish Tea Ring is a sweet yeast dough shaped like a wreath — an attractive, festive option that’s perfect for Christmas morning breakfast and easy to prepare ahead of time.

My mother-in-law was an expert bread baker. Her home was often filled with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked bread. One family tradition she passed down was serving a sweet bread on Christmas morning. I loved the idea, but waking up before dawn to mix dough, wait for it to rise, and bake felt like too much on a holiday morning.

Luckily, I learned two helpful secrets: this Swedish Tea Ring freezes beautifully, and you can make the dough in a bread machine. Prepare the dough and rings ahead of time, freeze them, then simply thaw and warm on Christmas morning for a fresh, festive centerpiece.

Swedish Tea Ring on a platter

How to make Freeze-Ahead Swedish Tea Rings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 beaten egg

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 3 tablespoons white sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

Ingredients for Swedish Tea Ring

Equipment and prep

Use a bread machine on the Dough cycle for a hands-off approach: add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer, choose the Dough setting, and start. While the machine runs, butter two cookie sheets and lightly flour the surface you will use for rolling.

Dough in bread machine

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Divide the dough: When the dough cycle finishes, remove the dough from the pan and divide it in half.
  2. Roll out: Roll each half into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
    3. Rolling dough for Swedish Tea Ring
  3. Butter and fill: Spread softened butter evenly over each rectangle. Sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon — a good starting point is 3/4 cup brown sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; you likely won’t need all of it depending on your preference.
    4. Spread butter on dough
  4. Roll and seal: Roll each rectangle jelly-roll style, pinching the seam to seal. Bring the ends together to form a ring and pinch the ends where they meet. Place each ring seam-side down on a greased baking sheet.
    5. Form dough into a ring
  5. Slice the top: Using clean scissors, make cuts about every inch along the top of the roll, cutting two-thirds of the way through. Gently stretch each cut segment outward to reveal the spiral layers and filling.
    6. Snip and stretch the dough
  6. Rise: Cover with a clean towel and let the rings rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about one hour.
  7. Bake: Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the cuts. Repeat the process for the second ring if making two.
    8. Baked Swedish Tea Ring
  8. Finish: Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and brush with a little butter while still warm for extra shine and flavor.

Freeze-ahead and reheating instructions

To freeze: let the tea rings cool completely, then place each ring in a zip-top freezer bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. For best quality, use within a few months.

To use: thaw the ring overnight at room temperature. Warm gently in the oven or microwave before serving. For a polished finish, drizzle with a simple powdered sugar icing.

Swedish Tea Ring served with lights

Powdered sugar icing

Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract until smooth. Adjust consistency with a little more milk or sugar as needed. Drizzle over the warm or room-temperature ring.

Swedish Tea Ring on plate

Tips and variations

  • For a nutty crunch, add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts to the brown sugar mixture before rolling.
  • Swap part of the filling for raisins or dried cranberries for a fruitier ring.
  • If you prefer a richer dough, substitute half of the milk with warm cream or add an extra tablespoon of butter to the dough.

Other freeze-ahead friendly holiday treats

  • Christmas Dipped Chocolates
  • Rolled Sugar Cookies
  • Overnight Buns
  • Old-Fashioned Steam Pudding and Sauce
  • Mexican Sweet Breads (Pan Dulce) are also delightful for holiday mornings

This Swedish Tea Ring yields about 12 servings and makes an elegant, easy-to-prepare holiday breakfast. Make the dough ahead and freeze the finished rings to simplify your Christmas morning — a warm, homemade treat with minimal morning work.

(Post updated October 2021)