Before I say something else, yes, that is a ginormous braid. But that didn’t matter much. We all took a piece after another piece until all was gone in less than a day. I’m actually surprised it even lasted that long. Pillow-y soft, enriched with both eggs and butter, slightly sweet, this egg bread recipe is a keeper!
When I first took it out of the oven, all I wanted was to look at this beautifully braided bread with a shiny crust. It looked so pretty, too pretty to be eaten. I was under the spell of its magical aroma that took over my house. I wish I could find a way to bottle this aroma and let some out from time to time.
This egg bread is very similar with my 6 braid challah but like 10 times easier.
Just like its name suggests, it’s enriched with eggs and unlike challah it also has butter (you can also use shortening like the original recipe) and milk. A couple of tablespoons of sugar are added for a little sweetness and you mix everything until you have a soft, elastic dough.
You let the dough rest until doubled in volume. Don’t know when your dough it’s ready? Test it!
Divide the dough in 3 and make a braid. Of course you can braid it in 4-5 or even 6 if you prefer. This time I kept it simple. 3 seemed fitting.
Place the braid on a baking sheet and let rise again, while your oven is heating.
I didn’t adapt much the original recipe. As I already mentioned I used butter (one of my BFFs) instead of shortening and since I love the bread aroma so much I used less yeast, allowing the dough to develop its flavors in its long resting time.
Scared of baking with yeast? Don’t be! Read my Baking with yeast tips and you can also find lot more info on Red Star Yeast website.
You can also find Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+
Braided easy egg bread - Pillow-y soft, enriched with both eggs and butter, slightly sweet. Great for breakfast with butter and jam or accompanying a comforting meal at dinner time.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480 grams) bread flour (I used Pillsbury)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast (I used Red Star)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter, diced
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs + 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 egg yolked mixed with few drops of milk
- *more flour for dusting the working area
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add 2 cups of flour, sugar and yeast. Whisk to combine.
- In a small saucepan, add the water, milk and butter and heat until lukewarm (~ 110F). Pour over the flour mixture, stir to combine and let it rest for about 10 minutes until the sticky dough starts to rise and gets a spongy texture.
- Add the lightly beaten eggs mixed with the salt and with the dough hook on, start kneading, slowly adding the remaining 2 cups of bread flour.
- When all the flour is added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and let it knead for about 3-4 minutes or until the dough cleans itself from the sides of the bowl.
- If it's still sticky add just a little bit more flour. The dough should be soft and elastic and just a wee bit sticky to your fingers.
- With the help of a spatula, place the dough into a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in volume. It should take little over an hour.
- When the dough is risen, place it on a lightly floured surface, divide into 3 and roll each piece into a 15 inch rope.
- Braid the ropes, pinching the ends and tuck them under to seal.
- Gently place the braid on a cookie sheet. If it's easier for you, you can braid it directly on the cookie sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap again and let it rest for the second time for about half an hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400F.
- Just before placing the bread into the oven, brush it with the egg was (1 egg yolked mixed with few drops of milk).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until nice and golden.
- Let it cool before slicing.
Notes
Recipe from Red Star Yeast
*this recipe is part of a monthly collaboration with Red Star Yeast
With this easy bread recipe we start this month Bake Your Own Bread round-up.
Bake your own bread is a monthly event, hosted by me, to encourage you to leave that loaf of bread on the store shelves and bake a beautiful loaf of bread in their own kitchen. Quick breads, yeast bread (forget the fear!), rolls, buns, biscuits, sourdough bread, pizza etc.
How to participate (the rules):
1.) Blog about bread. It can be a post about baking bread in any form (yeast, wild yeast, quick breads, flat breads, sweet, savory, loaves, rolls, breadsticks, tortillas, scones, biscuits, etc.). It could also be a recipe that uses bread in it or as a base (pizza, bread pudding, etc.). Or it could be an informative post, a tutorial or how-to post (such as how to make sourdough, bread baking essentials, favorite products for baking bread, etc.). It could be a review of a bread-making book. Anything that will inspire us to bake bread at home. If you don’t have a blog and you’d like to participate, please email me a photo of your bread and the recipe and I will create a page for it.2.) Include a link back to this post or any of the monthly link-up posts
3.) Please link only posts from the current month.
All submissions will be added to a Bake your own bread Pinterest board.
Also I’ll do my best to promote everyone’s post on other social media channels. I’ll be using the #BakeYourOwnBread hashtag for Twitter and Google+ (feel free to use this to promote linked posts, as well)
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
What a lovely bread, Roxana! Beautiful!
Oh my goodness that is a beauuutiful loaf of bread! And I am sure it tastes divine!
Wow – that is a gorgeous loaf of bread. I am comfortable with yeast and bread at this point, but have never done anything like this before!
Your photographs are just so clear and beautiful. That bread looks amazing.
This is such a gorgeous bread, your braid is perfect, as always! Wish I had this in front of me right now
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Wonderful recipe. I must ask what camera you are using for your photographs as they are so amazingly life like! The whole site is lovely and I enjoy seeing the new recipes with my daily emails. Thank you.
Mmmm…this breaded bread looks soo good. It brings up memories of a sweet breaded bread that we always would have for Easter in Germany.
gorgeous looking crusty bread
Can you just come live with me and bake me bread? All your bread is SO good, I need to make it all!
Roxana, this bread is gorgeous. I want a huge chunk. Yum!
Roxana- Gorgeous braid and stunning photos!! ~Linda@RSY
I gave this a try yesterday. It was easy to mix and even to braid, but mine didn’t turn out as pretty as yours. It seemd to flatten out rather than stay as full as when I braided it. The braid was not as well-defined as yours after it baked. Do you think I should have used more flour? It wasn’t very sticky to the touch and rolled out nicely. Your advise?
Thanks, Linda
Hi Linda,
Since you mentioned yours was sticky, maybe a little bit of flour might help you next time.
The dough is slightly sticky when you’re done kneading it, but after the first rise it’s not sticky at all. Pretty easy to braid and keeps its shape beautifully.
Don’t know why yours flatten
Roxana
You make the most beautiful bread. I bet your house always smells wonderful. I am sure if I was ever there I wouldn’t want to leave.
Beautiful, I’d love a chicken salad sandwich on this yummy bread!
Fabulous!! We make a similar version that my son has proclaimed his favorite bread ever. Love your description! And can you imagine how good it would be with French Toast???!! Swoon!
That is a beauty pageant winner of a bread! Honestly, the color and sheen, not to mention the perfect braiding, is just stellar! Good work, Roxana!
You always have the BEST breads! And they always look like they came straight out of a professional bakery. Someday I can invision you opening a commercial bakery and being a HUGE success. This little delight looks stunning! A must make!
Roxana, that looks amazing. I can usually resist bread but I think I’d give in around this loaf.
I can look at your bread creations all day. Seriously. They always look so perfect!!
I’ve never heard of egg bread before but I do love challah. Love the braid going on here! It’s always been my downfall with challah. I’ll have to try this!
That is the most gorgeous looking braid bread! Your pictures are always so clear and crisp! I can almost reach right in my computer and grab a slice!!!
Another gorgeous bread, Roxy. Your braids are so perfect. I want to try your 6 braided once. This is so wonderful for BYOB!:)
First time posting in Bake your own Bread…You have a lovely blog with so much of information on basics as well..Looking forward to try out many of your recipes.
I’m so glad that I finally found the link to March 2013 BYOB (via a comment on February post). Your challah looks beautiful! Like you, I’ve done 6 strand braids, but you’re right: 3 strand is easier and looks just as lovely.
Beautiful
Thanks for the recipie, i made this, and it turned out great 
I will definatly be making this more often 
Hi Roxana….that is one amazing looking bread which I would love to try, I am linking my own bread here for the first time:)
Thank you for posting this recipe! I used to make this all the time and everyone loved it. We moved, the recipe got lost, and I’ve hunted for it for ages, knowing it was on the back of a yeast pkg, I’ve web searched for ages…. Finally! Here it is!! One thing I always did with this bread was put a loose piece of foil over the top after it was the color I wanted it to be rather than having a dark crust, it would be golden.
So glad to find this. It will be on the table for Easter!
This bread is gorgeous and sounds delicious! If you COULD bottle that scent you’d be a millionaire:)
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