Braided Bread Recipe

I want to share with you my favorite braided bread recipe. When I was younger I used to bake this bread for my dad and he loved it, so this recipe is a little sentimental to me.

This bread is truly a show stopper with how beautiful it looks and how tasty it is! I like to use it as a side with dinner or bring to a party with some delicious honey butter as a yummy appetizer!

Tools:

• Large mixing bowl
• Stand mixer or hand mixer with dough hooks
• Large cookie sheet
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring

Ingredients:

• Water
• Yeast
• Flour
• Oil
• Salt
• Sugar
• Milk
• eggs

I have found that homemade bread is a rare commodity to most people. When we have guests and I serve homemade bread of any kind they always seem surprised and excited!

Anyone can grab a loaf of French bread from the grocery store to serve with dinner, but there is something special about a nice loaf of fresh homemade bread that is just a little extra special. The way is makes your entire house smell like a bakery is definitely a plus!

This braided bread recipe is not difficult to make at all even if you aren’t  typically a bread maker. It does take a few hours from start to finish but most of that is just giving it time to rise. 

Keep reading to see step by step on how to make this delicious bread!

Steps to make Braided Bread:

1. Add warm water, yeast and 1Tbs. Of sugar to your large mixing bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate.

 2. Once the yeast is bubbly and frothy, add all of the additional ingredients to the bowl and mix until the dough comes together into a ball. Mix with dough hook in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. 

3. Cover with a light towel or cheese cloth and put in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. I put mine inside my oven with just the light on. 

4. Punch down the dough and dump onto a floured surface.

 

 

5. Knead for a couple minutes adding more flour if the dough is too sticky to work with. 

6. Divide dough into 3 equal parts and roll each part into long strips. Like super long bread sticks.   ( or 6 pieces if you would like  to make 2 loaves)

 

 

 

7. Now comes the fun part, braid the 3 strands of dough together. 

**If you are unfamiliar with how to braid, all you do is bring the outside piece over the center piece and set it down and then do the same thing on the other side and keep repeating the process all the way down the loaf.

 

8. Place the braided loaf on a large cookie sheet and cover with cloth or cheese cloth to rise for about 45 min.

**This recipe makes a GIANT loaf so you can split the dough up and make 2 separate loaves if you prefer 2 smaller loaves. 

 

 

9. Beat 2 eggs yolk and 2 Tbs. water together and brush the loaf with it. You want to do this carefully so you do not deflate the loaf.  This will give it a beautiful shine and golden brown color. 

 

10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

This Braided bread recipe is delicious served warm with butter or with honey butter. 

Braided Bread Recipe

Yield: 16 large slices

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This braided bread is so delicious. Serve warm with butter for such a yummy homemade treat.

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Ingredients

• 1/3 C. Warm water
• 5 tsp. Yeast
• 1 Tbs. Sugar
• 7 C. Flour
• 1/4 C. + 3 tsp. White sugar
• 1 Tbs. Oil
• 2 C. Milk
• 4 Eggs + 2 Egg yolks

Instructions

1. Mix water, yeast and 1 Tbs. sugar together in large mixing bowl, let set for 5 min to let the yeast activate.

2. Mix all other ingredients into mixing bowl ( except the egg yolks). Mix together using a dough hook with a stand mixer or hand mixer.

3. Place dough on a floured surface and nead for a couple minutes, until dough forms a ball.

4. Place back in mixing bowl and cover with a cheese cloth or towel in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

5. Punch down the dough and dump onto floured surface. Split dough into 3 equal parts.

6. Roll each section into a long strand and braid together.

7. Place on large cookie sheet cover with towel or cheese cloth and let rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes.

8. Beat together the 2 egg yolks and 2 Tbs. water and carefully brush onto loaf.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minUsed or until golden brown.