BRAIDED SWEET BREAD

Published by Jessica on February 21, 2020

Braided sweet bread is a gorgeous loaf that tastes as good as it looks! With a sweetened golden top crust and fluffy bread inside, you’re going to love this sweet bread recipe.

I first made this bread for Easter. I wanted something special, something lovely for the holiday table. I also wanted it to taste amazing of course! This bread checks both boxes- it’s so soft and feathery inside and even just shaping the dough into a simple braid yields a stunning loaf.

There are 2 ingredients in this bread that really help elevate the texture: oil and an egg. Don’t swap out either! Technically these ingredients enrich the dough, which can make it take longer to rise, but it’s so worth it. That feathery look? Enriched dough! Read on to see how it’s done.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

–1 TBSP + 1 tsp yeast: this is a little more yeast that what’s usual for a bread recipe and the reasoning behind it quickens the process. You can absolutely use less yeast (2-3 tsp is more standard) but just remember you’ll have to increase the rise time.

–1 cup warm water: warm water helps activate the yeast

–¼ cup granulated sugar: The sugar not only helps activate the yeast but it adds sweetness to the bread.

–⅓ cup canola oil: You can also use light olive oil or a different type of vegetable oil.

–1 egg: Helps to enrich the dough’s texture.

–1 ½ tsp salt: Enhances the flavor of the bread.

–3 to 3 ½ cups flour: The source of structure for the bread! Start with 3 cups, then if the dough is sticking to more of the bowl than a small circle the size of a quarter, add more flour as needed.

–1 egg whisked with 1 TBSP water for textured top and 2 TBSP turbinado sugar, for topping.

Helpful Tips when Making Your First Loaf of Bread:

If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, here are a few tips:

1. Remember to fully knead

The recipe below kneads for 7 minutes and it’s worth it! Kneading dough helps to develop the flavor and texture of the bread, so don’t skimp on kneading time.

2. Weather can affect your ingredients

If you live in a moist climate, chances are you’ll need at least the recommended amount of flour, maybe even 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more. Bread dough should be sticky, but still manageable, especially after the first rise. While you’re kneading, the dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl mostly clean. I usually aim to have the very bottom of the dough still attached to the bowl. Try not to add too much flour because your bread will be more dense. When you pick the dough up, some will stick to your fingers. After the first rise, it will be easier to handle!

3. Temperature affects how long your bread takes to rise

If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.

4. Don’t overwork the dough

Try not to go crazy kneading your bread after the first rise. I usually knead and shape my dough in about 1 minute, then it’s back in the pan to rest, for the 2nd rise. I like to have the pan rise in the oven for this second rise so that I don’t have to worry about moving risen dough. When it’s fully risen, I just turn the oven on and set the timer to bake!

Braided Sweet Bread

Braided sweet bread is a delicious and gorgeous homemade bread that looks as good as it tastes. With a sweetened golden top crust and fluffy bread inside, you’re going to love this sweet bread recipe.

4.92 from 34 votes

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Course: bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Braided Sweet Bread

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Raising Time: 1 15

Total Time: 2 5

Servings:

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup warm water
1 TBSP yeast + 1 tsp
⅓ cup canola oil
2 eggs divided
1 ½ tsp salt
3 cups flour might need an extra ¼ – ½ cup
2 TBSP turbinado sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Add yeast; let stand for 5 minutes until mixture is foamy and frothy.
Add the oil, 1 egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Use an electric mixer and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl, but you want it to still stick to the bottom of the bowl in a small circle the size of a quarter.
Form dough into a smooth ball. Keeping the dough in the bowl, spray the sides of the bowl and dough with nonstick spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 40-50 minutes.
Punch down dough. Knead for 1 minute, then divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each out into long logs and lay them out on the counter side by side.
Braid the three pieces of bread together. Pinch the end pieces and tuck them under the loaf. Carefully place the loaf on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 TBSP warm water. Brush loaf thoroughly with egg mixture and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Let rise for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until outside is golden brown and internal temperature of loaf registers 195-200°F. Let cool. Enjoy with butter!

Video

Notes

Store leftover bread in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Nutrition

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How can you tell when the bread is fully baked?

Most bread needs to cook until they reach 190-200 degreed F. Bread recipes that contain milk need to reach 200 degrees, whereas those that don’t need to reach 190. This recipe doesn’t have milk, so you can pull it out of the oven once a digital thermometer reaches 190. The tops should be a nice golden brown color.

My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!

How is turbinado sugar different from regular sugar?

Turbinado sugar is a more natural brown sugar with more coarse granules and a darker coloration than regular sugar. The flavor is also a little different because it retains some of that natural plant flavor and molasses that more refined sugars lack.

How to cut braided bread

Despite the different appearance, you can still slice your bread like normal using a bread knife. Making slices is a great way to serve the braided bread in multiple same sized pieces, but if you want to be creative and cut each lump to be its own piece, you can do that as well.

For the love of homemade bread

Once you make one loaf of homemade bread, you’ll be hooked and want more! Our Buttermilk Bread is always a big hit, as is our Soft White Bread which is perfect for sandwiches. The Soft Country French Bread has a more robust crust, and the Homemade Hawaiian Bread has fantastic flavor!

If you love banana bread like we do, you’ll want to try our White Chocolate Banana Bread as well as our Caramel Banana Nut Bread. Yum!

Come Spring, baking with lemon is tradition! We love this Easy Lemon Bread as well as Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread. Happy Baking!

Simple Braided Bread made with an easy enriched dough that yields a stunning loaf; perfect for holidays!

BRAIDED SWEET BREAD

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Here’s what you’ll need to make it: