Dad's Braided Bread---Super Bowl Favorite
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg. dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water (100 degrees F)
  • 1½ tsp. salt
  • 5 Tbsp. butter (1 Tbsp. for the dough, 4 Tbsp. melted to brush on the finished loaves)
  • 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 cup milk, scalded
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine yeast, 1 tsp. sugar and warm water (about 100 degrees F, just warm to the touch). Let it sit until yeast foams, 5-10 minutes.
  2. While you are waiting for the yeast to foam, scald the milk. (Heat it just until it almost boils, then remove it from the heat.)
  3. Remove the milk from the heat and add butter, salt, and 1 Tbsp. sugar into the milk.
  4. When the butter has melted, add the yeast mixture into the milk mixture and stir to combine.
  5. Combine milk mixture and 1¼ cups flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  6. Run the mixture on low until the flour is moistened.
  7. Add 1¾ cups flour, about ¾ a cup at a time and mix on low until the flour is moistened before the next addition.
  8. Then knead the dough on medium for 6 minutes.
  9. Rub olive oil on the inside of a large bowl. The bowl needs to be large enough to allow the dough to double in size.
  10. Place the dough in the bowl and rub the top of the bread with a little olive oil.
  11. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour
  12. Divide the dough in half. Cut each half into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long strand, about 10-12 in inches long.
  13. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
  14. Press the ends of three strands together. Then braid three strands. Press the ends together and turn them under slightly to secure them. Then braid the other three strands creating a second loaf.
  15. Let the braided bread loaves rise for an hour.
  16. About twenty minutes before the loaves are finished rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
  17. Bake the bread for 10 minutes.
  18. Then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
  19. Bake the bread until it is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes more.
  20. When the bread is almost ready, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  21. When the bread comes out of the oven, generously brush butter over the top of each loaf.
Recipe by Pinot & Pie at https://pinotandpie.com/dads-homemade-braided-bread-a-super-bowl-favorite/