Braided Bread Recipe

4.96 from 23 votes

Easy to follow recipe for making to loavs of beautifully braided bread loaves baked to golden perfection.

Prep Time2

Cook Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, white bread

Servings: slices

Calories: 101kcal

Author: Jane and Sonja

Cost: $4

Combine yeast ingredients (1.5 tbsp yeast;1 cup warm milk;1 tsp sugar) in a cup and leave it to sit for a couple of minutes.
In the meantime, place flour and salt in a mixing bowl and mix together.
Add yeast mixture to flour mixture.
Add 1 cup warm milk and oil and continue mixing.
Dough needs to be firm so if you find the dough appears sticky, add more flour to firm up the dough.
Mix for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from bowl and knead by hand for 2-3 minutes on a floured surface.
Leave for 1 hour covered with a paper towel.
Knead again for another 2-3 minutes.
Leave for ½ hour covered with a paper towel.
When double the size, divide dough into 6 parts for making two loaves in a 9x13 pan.
Lengthen the dough to about 40cm long.
Work 3 strands and braid the dough loosely together to form one loaf. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Place in a parchment lined pan greased lightly with oil. Separate the two loaves down the center with parchment paper. Grease the loaves on all sides.
Brush on one beaten egg with 1 tbsp water.
Optional - add sesame seeds over the loaf after brushing on the egg mixture.
Add 2-3 cups of water in an oven-safe dish and place inside oven on a separate rack. This will give the bread a shiny appearance.
Bake at 385F for 30 minutes. Loaves should be golden colored on to the top.