Crusty White Bread Braids
Fri, Feb 18, 2011
(+4 rating, 2 votes)
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This bread is soft and makes great sandwiches or french toast. It is also the dough I use for Monkey Bread. Because it makes two loaves, I like to make one loaf of bread and use the remaining dough to make a smaller batch of monkey bread.
Crusty White Bread Braids
Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies
Recipe type: Yeast Bread
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 loaves
This bread is soft and makes great sandwiches or French toast.
Ingredients
- 4 - 4½ cups flour
- 4½ tsp yeast (2 packets)
- 2 cups warm water
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and the yeast.
- Add the water, oil, sugar and salt.
- Beat the dough on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Beat the dough for an additional three minutes on high.
- By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. (I have found that it is a very wet dough so I usually add up to the 4½ cups total flour and then knead in enough flour so that I am able to handle it.)
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl, flipping the ball over so that the greased side faces up.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it has doubled, for roughly 1½ hours.
- Punch down the dough with your fist.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Then divide each half into thirds.
- Shape the dough into six balls.
- Cover the balls and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a 16-inch rope.
- Braid three of the ropes, pinching the ends together and tucking them under. Repeat the process with the other three ropes. (*I braid the ropes directly on a greased baking sheet because it is difficult to transfer the braided dough.)
- Cover the braids and let them rise for forty minutes or until almost doubled in size.
- Bake the bread for 20-30 minutes at 375 degree until they are golden and done.
how much water?
Mary, 2 cups warm water. Thank you for pointing out that the water was missing from the recipe. When I converted the recipe format it was inadvertently deleted. I hope you enjoy the bread!