Lightly sweetened Swiss braided bread with soft and airy texture. It’s delicious with butter or jam.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. cane sugar
- 3 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 packet (1/4 oz.) Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 cups (570 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- To make the dough: Add sugar, salt, and yeast to a large bowl.
- Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to the touch, about 110°F. Pour warm milk on top of the yeast mixture. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.
- Add the melted butter and egg. Gently whisk to combine.
- Add flour in two additions. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to form a shaggy ball.
- Transfer it to a floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a small amount of flour. You want a soft dough. Shape into a ball.
- Place the dough into a clean greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- To braid the dough: Transfer the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Form each ball into 3 pieces and roll out each piece into 12-13-inch “snakes”.
- Braid the “snakes” by pressing the 3 pieces together very securely at one end and braid them as you would braid hair. Seal the second end by pressing three pieces together and tucking under the loaf.
- Place the loaves on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 1 hour. Make sure there’s plenty of room for the dough to rise and expand.
- To bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the egg yolk with water and brush each loaf with the egg wash. Bake on the middle rack for 18-23 minutes or until golden and shiny.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves – 12 slices each.
