Organic Swiss Braided Bread
We make this bread at least twice a month. We've streamlined the process by using a digital scale to measure the ingredients. Make sure that the scale is set to measure metric (e.g., gram), not imperial measurements (e.g., pounds) and tare the scale (zero it out with the bowl on the scale) after every addition.
Ingredients:
salt 18 grams
organic bread flour 1000 grams = 7 cups unsifted
yeast 15 grams dry yeast(approx. 1 1/2 tbsp)
1 stick of organic butter (plus 1/2 tablespoon - optional)
600 grams or ml organic milk (we use whole milk)
- Preparation:
Put the bowl on the scale and push tare (use metric measurements).
Add 18 grams salt (tare bowl).
Add 1000 grams bread flour (tare bowl).
Add 15 grams yeast.
Take bowl off of scale and mix dry ingredients.
Soften butter in microwave (about 10 sec.)
Cut butter into flour mixture or add soft butter in flakes so that the pieces are about 1/4 inch thick.
Pour milk into a glass measuring container and measure 600 ml. Microwave until warm (99 sec).
Make a well in flour/butter mixture and poor the warm milk into the well.
Stir until combined a little and then knead the dough in the bowl until it is smooth, homogeneous and elastic - takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
Cover bowl and let rise until it doubles in size (1 to 2 hours).
This will make 2 loaves of bread. Roll out one large cylinder and cut it into 4 cylinders of dough that are each about 3 feet long.
Make the first loaf by crossing two cylinders. First the two ends of the lower cylinder swap places. Do the same with the other cylinder as in the photographs below.
When the loaves are braided put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat an egg and brush the loaves twice with egg wash. Put the loaves into a cold oven. Turn on the oven to bake at 425 degrees. In the time it takes the oven to reach the target temperature the bread will rise a little more.
Remove the bread after it has turned brown or when a knock to the bottom of the bread returns a hollow sound.
Let cool a little before cutting.
Add 18 grams salt (tare bowl).
Add 1000 grams bread flour (tare bowl).
Add 15 grams yeast.
Take bowl off of scale and mix dry ingredients.
Cut butter into flour mixture or add soft butter in flakes so that the pieces are about 1/4 inch thick.
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| Flour, butter, yeast and salt mixture with a well of warm milk in the middle. |
Pour milk into a glass measuring container and measure 600 ml. Microwave until warm (99 sec).
Make a well in flour/butter mixture and poor the warm milk into the well.
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| Roughly mixed dough. Kneading will mix the dough completely. |
Stir until combined a little and then knead the dough in the bowl until it is smooth, homogeneous and elastic - takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
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| Dough after kneading - now it must sit and rise with a damp cloth or lid over the top. |
Cover bowl and let rise until it doubles in size (1 to 2 hours).
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| Dough after rising for 2 hours. |
This will make 2 loaves of bread. Roll out one large cylinder and cut it into 4 cylinders of dough that are each about 3 feet long.
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| Four cylinders for 2 loaves of bread. |
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| Cross 2 cylinders to begin braiding. |
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| Cross the two ends of a cylinder over the center. |
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| Brush twice with egg wash and put into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees and bake 25 to 35 minutes. |
When the loaves are braided put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat an egg and brush the loaves twice with egg wash. Put the loaves into a cold oven. Turn on the oven to bake at 425 degrees. In the time it takes the oven to reach the target temperature the bread will rise a little more.
Remove the bread after it has turned brown or when a knock to the bottom of the bread returns a hollow sound.
Let cool a little before cutting.
