Place the salt, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Add room temperature milk and stir. Make sure it forms a foamy cap, a sign that the yeast is working. Pour in the olive oil. Add flour in parts and knead with a spatula to form a soft, sticky dough.

Round the dough and place it in a bowl greased with olive oil to rise. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.

Line a baking sheet with parchment, lay out the dough and shape it into a teardrop shape. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 20 minutes. Brush the dough with water and dust with flour.

Remove the pieces of dough at the bottom to form a trunk. Use a thick knife to make diagonal stripes without cutting the dough. Use small scissors to make cuts along these stripes. Use a blade to make strokes all over the bread. Form a loaf from the remaining dough, brush it with water and attach it to the top of the bread. Bake the bread in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown in a 360-degree F oven.

Cool the pastry on a wire rack and serve. Every bite of this Christmas bread is soft, warm and full of flavor, making it irresistible to family and friends.