Super Soft Braided Bread

Take your baking skills to the next level by making this soft, delicious, and soft homemade Braided Bread!

Find comfort in pastries through good-quality bread recipes like this one. It may look like it’s hard to make, but I’m sure you can get it right even on your first try.

You can never know too many bread recipes. The braided bread recipe is perfect for breakfast, snacks, and celebrations. Don’t is out on this tasty and pleasing bread!

Make your breakfast meals more special by baking this bread! Super soft, fluffy, delicious, and elegant!

How to Make Braided Bread

What’s better than ordinary bread? Braided Bread! Make this a recipe of your own, and you will never regret it. You might be surprised at how easy it is to make this dish.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of everything you need to make Braided Bread:

Strong bread flour 

Strong bread flour or bread flour is a protein-rich flour that gives the bread a better structure. Using this flour, you can braid and shape the dough however you prefer.

With bread flour, you can give the bread a soft and chewy texture. It also helps with a beautiful browning effect once you bake the bread.

It’s the same flour I use to make Soft Bread and Air Fryer Bread for the right texture.

Yeast

Yeast is one of the best leavening agents for bread. It naturally reacts with the flour and the wet ingredients for a gorgeous rise in the dough and the braided bread.

With the help of yeast, you can form and shape the bread easier. It also adds volume to the bread for better texture. I always have yeast in stock because I also use it for Puff Puff, Pizza, and Donuts! 

Egg

The egg helps give the bread the best texture. It also binds the dry ingredients for the proper quality of dough. Moreover, the egg makes the bread soft and tender.

I also use it for Plantain Bread, Vanilla Cake, and Banana Bread. You can even use egg substitutes best suited for bread, such as ripe bananas, nut butter, and cornstarch with water.

Powdered milk 

The powdered milk helps give a creamy and milky taste to the braided bread. It also adds a gorgeous brown shade to the baked bread. In fact, it’s also the perfect alternative for evaporated milk. 

Seasoning 

To give the bread the full flavor that it needs, season it with sugar, nutmeg, and sea salt. Sea salt is also a natural preservative agent for pastry. Meanwhile, the nutmeg and sugar add a distinct taste to the braided bread. 

Salted butter

Aside from giving a rich sweetness to the braided bread, adding salted butter also extends the shelf life of the pastry. This also serves as grease for the flat surface and the dough for shaping.

These ingredients may seem simple, but the real fun comes once you make the bread! With the correct measurements, you can easily make bakery-quality bread at home! 

Directions

Check out how simple it is to make braided bread!

1. Combine bread flour, nutmeg, sugar, sea salt, skimmed milk powder, and dry yeast in a bowl.
2. Add the egg and the water.
3. Knead it in the mixer for 5 minutes.
4. Gradually add the salted butter in three portions while kneading. 
5. Continue kneading for 20 minutes or until the dough is ready for baking.
6. Roll the dough using a rolling pin on a greased or floured surface.
7. Then, fold the two ends of the dough inward and roll again.
8. Use a dough cutter to slice the dough into three equal portions.
9. Roll out each dough, and shape them into long and thick pieces. 
10. Pinch the dough strips together on one end.
11. Braid the dough strands by bringing one strand in the middle. Do this alternately until it forms a braid. 
12. Pinch the other end to close the braid.
13. Cover the baking tray with cling film and a towel.
14. Leave it to rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size. 
15. Preheat the oven to 150°C for 10 minutes.
16. Bake the dough for 16 minutes.
17. Once baked, brush the braided bread with butter for that extra flavor, moisture, and gloss. 

Let me know how it turned out! Is it as soft, delicate, and delicious as you hoped it would be? You don’t need to go to the bakery or restaurant to have quality bread! 

Tips

Storing bread dough

• Put the dough in a freezer bag to use within several weeks.
• Leave enough space in the bag to raise the dough before freezing.
• To use, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and let it proof at room temperature to bake. 

• You can also refrigerate it by putting it in a bowl and covering it with a towel. 

Kneading Dough by Hand

1. To knead, lightly flour or grease a flat and clean surface.
2. Place the dough on the surface.
3. Then, push the dough down in an outward motion with the heel of your hand.
4. Fold the halves of the dough and press it down again. 
5. Continue pushing and folding the dough for 25 minutes or until the dough is ready for shaping.

Kneading is a necessary step for preparing dough because it builds the gluten network for the proper structure and form of the bread. Do not over-knead it to prevent the bread from becoming hard. 

Braided Bread Variations

You can make this a gluten-free recipe by replacing the bread flour with gluten-free flour. Alternatively, use almond flour, brown rice flour, or oat flour to make the braided bread.

You can bake with bananas for enhanced flavor and nutritional value. For added character to the braided bread, incorporate condiments such as dark chocolate, nuts, raisins, cinnamon, fruit bits, and more! 

No-Oven Bread

Aside from using the oven, you can make bread in an air fryer. Prepare the dough as you usually would and section them into pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and arrange them in the air fryer basket. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Bread can also be cooked in a pot. Preheat a pot with a wire rack inside for 15 minutes on medium heat. Cook the bread for 30 minutes or until baked all the way through. 

There’s also a no-oven bread recipe you can try!

Recommended Tools

• Oven: Bake the braided bread in the oven.
• Stand mixer: Knead the dough in a stand mixer or by hand. 
• Measuring cups and spoons: Measure the ingredients accurately. 
• Dough cutter: Cut the bread with a dough cutter. 
• Glass bowl: Mix the ingredients in a glass bowl. 
• Baking tray: Place the bread on a baking tray.
• Parchment paper: Use this to line a baking tray.
• Cling film and kitchen towel: Cover the dough with cling film and kitchen towel to rise.
• Cooling wire rack: Let the bread rest on a cooling wire rack. 
• Rolling pin: Flatten the dough with a rolling pin. 

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How to Serve Braided Bread

This braided bread is extra flavorful and soft, so you can simply serve it on its own with a cup of coffee, hot choco, juices,  smoothies, and tea! It can be toasted to give that crispy and rich taste. 

You can also smear it with spreads like peanut butter, cashew butter, and strawberry jam. With braided bread, you can also use eggs, hotdogs, bacon, ham, or other frozen goods. 

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Store braided bread in containers or bread boxes for up to several days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is braiding bread called?

Braiding bread is also called Challah, a popular tradition in Jewish bread. It is usually made for celebrations and ceremonial occasions.

What is braided bread used for?

Braided bread is popularly served for celebrations, weekends, and holidays. You can serve it to kids and adults with their chosen fillings inside. It’s also easy to pair with drinks and dishes!

How do you braid bread?

First, make the dough with the right ingredients and measurements. Slice the dough into three pieces. Roll and mold each piece into a long and thick shape.

Pinch the dough to seal one end. Alternately place each dough on top of the center strand until you get a braided design.

Is homemade braided bread healthy?

Yes, this braided bread recipe is healthy because you can be sure that it does not contain preservatives or additives. You are guaranteed to have quality, fresh, and viable ingredients to achieve perfectly textured and flavored bread. 

You can also add other ingredients or seasonings of your choice, such as cinnamon, chocolate, fruit bits, nuts, and more!