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Easy Plaited Bread
This simple plaited bread recipe is so easy to make, and creates a pretty braided centrepiece for the lunch table.
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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
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