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    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Baking Recipes » Easy Plaited Bread

    Easy Plaited Bread

    Published: Jan 11, 2012 · Modified: May 4, 2022 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Plaited Bread
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
    Pinterest pin for Plaited Bread

    This simple plaited bread recipe is so easy to make, and creates a pretty braided white loaf for the lunch table.

    🍴Why you will love this recipe

    Breadmaking is such a simple pleasure - the satisfaction of slowly turning some humble ingredients into a beautiful crusty loaf. And this pretty plaited bread is much easier than it looks but an impressive loaf.

    The dough is divided into three equal parts then braided into a simple plait. As it proves and bakes it stretches into a beautiful pattern which slices well or can be served as a tear-and-share bread or even slathered in garlic butter!

    Make sure you use a good quality strong white bread flour for a perfect loaf, and that your yeast is instant yeast and still in date.

    Jump to:
    • 🍴Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your Plaited Bread
    • 🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
    • 🍽 If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews
    Ingredients for Plaited Bread

    📝 What you need

    Strong White Flour It is important to use proper bread flour with high gluten content to get a soft, fluffy loaf. If you prefer you could use half-and-half white and wholemeal bread flour.

    Instant Yeast can be added straight into the flour which makes bread-making easy, (rather than other types of yeast that need activating before adding to the dough).

    Olive oil enhances the texture and moisture of the finished loaf and makes the dough easier to handle.

    👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your Plaited Bread

    For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼.

    mix ingredients and knead

    Mix the flour, yeast, salt, water and olive oil in a large bowl. Bring together into a soft dough, then knead for 8-10 minutes (or 5 minutes in a food mixer with a dough hook). Leave to prove for 1 - 1.5 hours.

    divide into balls and roll

    Divide the dough into three equal sections, and roll each into a long, even sausage shape.

    pinch strands together and plait

    Pinch the strands together at the top, then plait them - cross the right strand over the centre, then the left strand over the centre and so on until finished.

    prove and bake

    Pinch the ends of the strands together at the bottom and tuck underneath. Transfer the loaf to an oiled baking tray and leave to prove for 45 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes.

    🔪 Top Tips & FAQs

    When kneading your dough, try using oil on your surface rather than flour. I find this actually makes kneading easier, and it helps to keep the texture of the dough consistent.

    For a great flavour you can prove the dough in the fridge overnight. Proving at a lower temperature for longer helps the fermentation of the yeast which adds a lovely deep bread-y flavour. If the dough is still cold when you divide and plait it, the second prove may take an extra 30-45 minutes.

    Plaited Loaf
    Why do I need to use strong white flour for this plaited bread?

    Strong white flour has a high gluten content which produces a good rise and therefore a light bread crumb with a crispy crust. Using plain flour instead woill produce a dense loaf.

    How long will my bread keep for?

    The fresh plaited bread will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container or tin, though it is at its best when just cooled from the oven.

    Can I freeze my plaited bread?

    Yes, fresh bread freezes well - just leave it to cool and put it in an airtight bag or container in the freezer. Or you can slice it first so that you can defrost a slice at a time.

    🍽 If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    • Vegan Ploughmans
      Vegan Ploughmans Lunch Platter
    • Broccoli, Kale, Chilli & Hazelnut Vegan Pizza
      Vegan Pizza with Broccoli, Kale, Chilli & Hazelnut
    • Vegan Bread and Butter Pudding
      Vegan Bread & Butter Pudding
    • Vegan Soda Bread
      Vegan Soda Bread

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    Plaited Bread

    Easy Plaited Bread

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    This simple plaited bread recipe is so easy to make, and creates a pretty braided centrepiece for the lunch table.
    5 from 5 votes
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    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Course Bread
    Cuisine British
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 173 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 500 g strong white flour (sometimes called bread flour)
    • 7 g instant yeast
    • 1.5 teaspoon salt
    • 310 ml luke-warm water
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl mix the flour, yeast, salt, water and oil. Bring together into a soft dough.
    • Knead the dough for 5 minutes on an oiled surface (or for 3-4 minutes in a food mixer with a dough hook). Cover and leave to prove for 1 - 1.5 hours (or overnight in the fridge).
    • Divide the dough into three equal pieces, (you can weigh them if you want to be really accurate - mine were 280g each). Roll each piece into a long, even sausage shape as pictured above.
    • Pinch the three strands together at one end, then plait the strands by crossing the right strand over the centre, then the left strand over the centre, and continuing until all the dough has been plaited.
    • Pinch together the bottom of the strands and tuck underneath. Transfer the loaf to an oiled baking tray and set aside to prove for 45 minutes, (or if your dough is still cold from the fridge it might take 1.5-2 hours).
    • Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan) / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
    • Bake the loaf for 15 minutes then (without opening the oven) turn the temperature down to 170°C (fan) / 325°F / gas mark 3. and cook for a further 30 minutes. The loaf should be deeply golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the underside.
    • For a glossy shine, brush your warm loaf with a little olive oil. Leave to cool before eating.

    Video

    Notes

    When kneading your dough, try using oil on your surface rather than flour. I find this actually makes kneading easier, and it helps to keep the texture of the dough consistent.
    For a great flavour you can prove the dough in the fridge overnight. Proving at a lower temperature for longer helps the fermentation of the yeast which adds a lovely deep bread-y flavour. If the dough is still cold when you divide and plait it, the second prove may take an extra 30-45 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 297mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
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    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kushigalu says

      May 04, 2022 at 2:21 pm

      This plaited bread looks so soft and delicious. I would love to bake this soon.

      Reply
    2. Gina says

      May 04, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      There is nothing like homemade bread! This was a great recipe/tutorial. The bread baked up perfect and we all really enjoyed it. I will be making this again!

      Reply
    3. Carrie Robinson says

      May 04, 2022 at 1:04 pm

      Such a gorgeous loaf of bread! 🙂 Home-baked bread is always the best.

      Reply
    4. Savita says

      May 04, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      Loved how moist and gorgeous this looks. Absolutely amazing.

      Reply
    5. Dannii says

      May 04, 2022 at 11:46 am

      What a beautiful looking loaf. It looks so light and fluffy inside too. Definitely one to make for a dinner party.

      Reply
    6. frugalfeeding says

      January 11, 2012 at 4:26 pm

      That sounds and looks absolutely wonderful! I shall have to give this design a go too!

      Reply
    7. Clare Rudd says

      January 11, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      Wow, I never thought of plaiting my own bread. I am going to give it a go now. Thanks x

      Reply
    5 from 5 votes

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