Taking a risk is one of the things that I am afraid to do because there is no assurance that I will be victorious. Somehow, baking taught me so many things – being patient, thinking out of the box, going out of my comfort zones and not being afraid to try again.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 egg yolks
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all except the last two ingredients.
- Mix with wooden spoon until you get all the flour on the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer to your lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. (You can also do the kneading using your stand mixer with a dough attachment for 7-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.)
- Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to an oiled bowl, slightly coating the dough with oil as well. Cover with plastic wrap, placing the bowl [with the dough] at a warm place (microwave oven turned off is one of the best places) and let rest for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and let it rest again for another 45 minutes.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for few minutes.
- Cut the dough into 15 equal pieces.
- Covering loosely with a damp towel, work one piece at a time – roll the dough into a long rope. Twist it around and tie, tucking the ends underneath. Continue doing the same with the rest of the dough.
- Place the braided rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover again with plastic wrap.
- While waiting, heat the oven to 350F.
- When the shaped doughs are ready, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before eating.
