Hefekranz or hefezopf are sweet breads from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and South Tyrol. They are made with an enriched yeast-leavened dough, sometimes further enriched with raisins or almonds.
Typically they are made with three braided strands of dough. When the strands are curved into a wreath, it is a hefekranz ("yeast wreath"); when they are braided together, it is a hefezopf ("yeast braid").
Word origins
German, hefe "yeast", kranz "wreath", or hefe "yeast", zopf "braid".