German Hefezopf - Braided Sweet Bread
This Hefezopf or braided bread recipe is another German classic that is the star of every Easter brunch table.
For me, it’s a all year round favourite bake which is lovely for breakfast and/or for teatime.
The dough is super soft, slightly sweet and honestly just thinking about the smell of a freshly baked Hefezopf brings back a lot of fond childhood memories
I personally love it with some jam on top.
Happy Baking!
PS: The braiding part sounds much more difficult than it is. There are a lot of great videos available to provide you with some further guidance if needed.
Ingredients
500g flour
100g sugar
100g butter (melted)
2 eggs (small)
150 - 180ml milk
42g fresh yeast (alternative: 1 sachet dry yeast)
pinch of salt
optional: sliced almonds or sugar crystals
Method
Proofing the yeast (only for fresh yeast)
Heat up 150ml of milk (lukewarm) and add 1 tsp of sugar.
Crumble in the fresh yeast.
Set aside in a warm place until the mixture rises and gets bubbly.
For the dough
In a bowl - mix the flour, butter, sugar, salt and eggs.
Add in the yeast mixture (or dry yeast sachet).
Using an electric mixer (with spiral hooks) - combine the ingredients to a soft and non-sticky dough. You might need to add more milk if the dough is too crumbly.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead it by hand for a couple of minutes.
The braiding
Divide the dough into 3 equally-sized balls.
Form each ball into a roll of equal length. The roll should be about 40cm long.
Place the strands next to each other, leave a bit of space in between them.
Pinch the ends of the strands together on one side.
Begin to braid by lifting the strand on the right and passing it over the centre one. Now, take the strand on the left and pass it over the centre one.
Continue braiding by alternately placing the right one over the centre, then the left one over the centre.
Try to keep the braid tight as you work you way down.
Twist the ends together and pinch.
Place the braid onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover it with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 15 minutes.
The baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
Brush the dough with some milk. If you like you can sprinkle it with sliced almonds or sugar crystals.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Serve with butter and jam.