Christmas baking ahead of time: a week-by-week plan

Christmas baking need not become one exhausting December weekend. Much of it can be made ahead: some recipes improve after a rest, while others keep beautifully in the freezer. Here is a plan that spreads the work through Advent, week by week.

Week by week

1. 1
   Late November: crisp biscuits

   Gingerbread, crisp Norwegian wafers and similar biscuits often keep for 3 to 4 weeks in well-sealed tins. Start with these time-consuming, longer-keeping bakes.

2. 2
   Early Advent: freezer baking and kavring

   Bake saffron buns and loaves and freeze once cooled on the same day; they keep good quality for about 2 months. Plan the dark rye loaf kavring according to your serving date, allowing a day or two to mature. See the kavring recipe, and freeze it if you need a longer gap.

3. 3
   Mid-Advent: soft cakes for the freezer

   Plain gingerbread cakes and loaf cakes freeze well whole. Wrap them properly and thaw for Christmas week. Perishable fillings need their own chilled-storage guidance.

4. 4
   The weekend before Christmas: malt bread

   Bake spiced malt bread a couple of days before serving so its flavour can develop. Store it carefully and freeze portions you will not eat while fresh.

5. 5
   Christmas week: the finishing touches

   Thaw, decorate and bake anything that needs to be fresh that day. Thawed buns can have about 5 minutes at 175 °C to bring back their aroma.

What freezes well, and what does not?

Most plain Christmas baking freezes well: bread, buns, soft cakes and many biscuits. Icing and powdered sugar can become sticky from condensation, so decorate after thawing. Add fresh berries and cream at the end and keep them chilled as needed. For bread, see freezing bread properly, and for varieties see Christmas breads and their storage.

Storage is half the craft

Give unfrozen baking suitable storage: crisp biscuits in tightly closed tins, one variety per tin; plain soft bakes and bread in wrapping that limits drying. The container guide is in Christmas bread and biscuit storage, with bun tips in soft saffron buns.

Frequently asked questions