The Fluffiest Braided Bread

Kindly note that you can either start two days in adance in the evening or you start one day in adance in the morning.

For pre-dough 1 heat the milk a little (you still need to be able to stick your finger in it) and mix with the flour and yeast. Keep in a jar or tightly covered bowl at room temperature for two hours, then transfer to the fridge.

For pre-dough 2 mix flour and milk in a small pot while stirring on medium and let cook until it becomes denser. Then take off the flame and stir for about two minutes until it becomes a ball and slightly pulls away from the bottom. Spoon onto cling wrap and cover tightly. Transfer to the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. Meanwhile leave butter and egg on the counter to come to room temperature.

For the main dough place predough 1 and 2 in a large kneading bowl and add all remaining ingredients except for the butter. Knead for ten minutes on low, then add the butter by the spoonful and knead for another five minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until double in volume. For me this usually takes about two hours, but this depends on the environment.

Then make 6 equally sized strings out of the dough of approximately 40-50cm. You will find a visual of how to braid 6 strings here (it's in German though). Let them rest for ten minutes, it is going to be easier to handle afterwards. Create a braided bread, either with three strings or six. Transfer to a large cutting board covered with parchment paper and cover tightly. Chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

The next morning preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Slip the braided bread with the parchment paper below onto a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden straight out of the fridge.