A kind of braided bread preparation.
- ⏲️ Prep time: 20 min
- 🍳 Cook time: 40 min
- 🍽️ Servings: 2-4
NOTE: Prep time does not account for the 3-4 hours the dough must be left to rise and cool (see directions 5, 10, & 12).
Ingredients
- 600ml ( 1 Pint ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon dry active baking yeast
- 7 tablespoons honey
- 1.5kg flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
- Fill a large bowl with the water, and sprinkle with the yeast.
- Whisk together: honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add to bowl.
- Add flour to bowl in small amounts, beating/whisking after each addition.
- Once the mixtures becomes a viscous dough, begin kneading until smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky.
- Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rise for 1-2 hours, or until dough has doubled in size.
- Sprinkle flour onto a chopping board, place the dough onto it and divide in half.
- Knead each half, adding flour as needed to keep the dough non-sticky.
- Divide each half into thirds and roll into a long snake about 4cm (1.5in) in girth.
- Pinch the ends of the each three snakes together firmly and plait them together, making two items of braided dough.
- Grease two baking trays or use baking paper, cover with dry cloth and let rise for one hour. Preheat oven to 190°C / Gas mark 5.
- Whisk an egg and brush onto each plait, sprinkle with seeds.
- Bake until bread has a hollow sound when tapped, cool on a rack for an hour before slicing.