Kletzenbrot is a sweet bread with dried fruits, especially dried pears (called Kletzen in Austrian German)[ citation needed] made for the Advent season in some Christian countries, notably associated with the Austrian state of Tyrol, and sometimes called Tyrolean Dried Fruit Bread. [1] Modern varieties are usually made with dried fruits and nuts like walnuts, raisins, currants, dried apples, figs and prunes. [2] Most recipes add spices like cinnamon, cloves, anise, nutmeg, and rum for extra flavor. [3] There are many possible varieties of the loaf, which is sometimes made with rye flour for a dark brown loaf, but can also be made with whole wheat flour. [4] The flour can either be just incorporated in the dough with the dried fruit or it can be used to make an extra dough coating. [5]
Modern recipes are not limited to the traditional dried pears but include an assortment of nuts and dried fruits like raisins, currants, dates, prunes and figs. It's a quickbread made by adding sodium bicarbonate and buttermilk to the sifted dry ingredients, then folding in any chopped nuts or dried fruits. [6] It is often decorated with blanched almonds. [7]