I wanted to make a braided loaf. I loved the idea of it sitting so prettily on my dinner table. But then I realized I was out of bread flour… (apparently I wasn’t actually but that is a whole other story). I scurried off to my cookbook shelf to try and find a recipe that didn’t use bread flour, and low and behold I found this beauty in Joanna Gaines’ cookbook Magnolia Table II. It was so profoundly satisfying braiding this loaf. I cannot wait to make it again.
I use an Ankarsrum mixer which means I have to put the liquids in my mixer first and add the dry ingredients to it. This is often the opposite of how you use a standard kitchenaid mixer. I used less than the 3 1/2 cups flour because of the power of the Ankarsrum.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tsp sugar, divided
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (possibly less)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 large eggs
Topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp milk/half&half/cream
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In the bowl of the Ankarsrum, add water, yeast and 1 tsp of sugar. Give a quick mix and allow to bloom.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add the oil and eggs and mix until thuroughly combined.
- Add 2 1/2 cups flour, salt and remaining sugar to the wet ingredients. Attach the dough hook and scraper and turn the mixer on low. Slowly add flour until a smooth but slightly tacky dough forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead using the bread hook for around 5-8 minutes until it bounces back right away when poked and doesn’t tear when you pull it.
- Place in a greased large bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Once risen, punch down the dough and transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 15 inch rope.
- Put the three pieces parallel to each other and pinch the three tops together. Braid the dough ropes. Tuck the ends under so only the braid part shows. Make sure to braid tightly so there isn’t space between the ropes.
- Transfer the braid to a greased baking tray and cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise again for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Mix the eggs and milk to create an egg wash. Generously brush the braid with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25-28 minutes. Let the loaf cool on the tray for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely*.
- Enjoy and give yourself a pat on the back, YOU DID A THING AND IT IS A MIGHTY BEAUTIFUL THING!
Note:
If you are using a kitchenaid or other similar mixer, add your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) to the bowl and mix, proof your yeast in the cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar. Once proofed add the yeasty water to the dry ingredients along with the eggs and oil. Knead until an elastic smooth dough is formed.
*I find it very helful to use a instant thermometer to ensure the internal temp of the dough is done, as the deep dark color of the loaf can make it tricky to tell. The internal temp should be between 195-200F