Easter is just around the corner. I’ve already dyed the eggs. The sparkling wine is chilling. All that’s missing is the right dish for Easter brunch. Just in time, a Swiss woman sent me a recipe for an authentic Swiss braided bread. It tastes different from the braided yeast breads I know from Austria and Bavaria. Perfect. It’ll be a delicious addition to Easter breakfast.
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I love baking with yeast. So the recipe from Irene at Hotel Castell in the Swiss town of Zuoz couldn’t have come at a better time. But it’s not a sweet yeast dough like the ones I usually bake. According to the recipe, the bread contains even more salt than sugar. Have you ever tried that …?
Ingredients
- 1 kg flour
- 700 ml milk
- 1 packet of yeast
- 125 g butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 egg (for brushing)
Preparation
- Mix the flour and room-temperature butter in a bowl using a mixer.
- Warm the milk and crumble the yeast into it. Make sure the milk doesn’t get too hot. If it does, it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
- Add the yeast and milk mixture to the flour along with the sugar and salt, and knead everything thoroughly. It’s better to knead a little longer. Otherwise, the dough might not rise.
- Then it’s time to wait… The dough needs to rest under a cloth for 1 hour.
- Then divide the dough into two equal pieces on a floured work surface and shape them into two ropes of equal length and thickness, about 2-3 cm thick.
- Lay them across each other and braid them into a four-strand loaf using the Swiss technique. You’ll find the detailed braiding instructions in the video >
Practice the braiding with strands of yarn first, as this is the trickiest part. That way, you’ll find it easier to work with the dough.
- Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet and brush it with a beaten egg.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 50 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy, ideally fresh from the oven with butter and jam.
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A Sweet and Salty Flavor Explosion
I already sliced into this beauty before Easter. I had to taste it, after all. It’s really delicious while still warm from the oven, with soft butter and homemade berry jam. I actually love the slightly salty taste of the dough. It’s a great combination.
That means a big part of my Easter preparations is already complete.
What are you having for Easter brunch?
Enjoy!
Also of interest:
> Tips for time away from the mountains
> The world’s best Kaiserschmarrn to make at home
> Hiking in Switzerland: 3 beautiful places in Graubünden