Butter Braid

Every family has that one or couple of things that just make the holiday meal. That if they weren't on the table it would not be a completed holiday meal. One of those things for my husband's family is his Mom's bread (the other I have learned it my sugar cookies). She makes it for Thanksgiving and for Christmas dinners and that is it. So for me at least I look forward to those meals just for this bread.

In my quest to put together a family cookbook of recipes we can't live without or really don't want to think about living without...I was able to get this recipe. In the process of transferring my documents from the old computer to the new one I came across it and just felt like making it. It was one of those days that I knew I wasn't going any where so it was perfect. A couple of other reason was I have also been itching to make things and so that scratched that itch as well (for now at least) and I had a lot of leftover butter from holiday baking.

After the first rise and formed into it's 3 levels of braids.

Ready for the oven and covered in Sesame seeds

My baked fallen braid :(

Crumb shot

Butter Braid

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup water (105-115 degrees)
3 egg, beaten
6 cups flour, might need as much as cups
poppy or sesame seeds
1 egg white

Scald milk and pour it over butter, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle yeast into the water. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until dissolved. Stir into the cooled milk mixture. Add beaten eggs and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in rest of the flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead well. Put in a greased bowl cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and turn out onto board. Divide in half. Cut one half dough into 3 equal parts and roll out into strips 18 inches long. Braid. Place on greased cookie sheet. Divide two thirds of the remaining dough into 3 equal pieces and braid. Place over first braid. Form remaining dough into braid and lay over first 2 braids.

Brush all with melted butter and sprinkle with seeds. Let rise until doubled. Brush with a mixture of 1 egg and 1 tbsp water. Bake in a preheated oven (375) for 30 to 35 minutes. Brush twice with egg mixture while baking.

Review: Mike said it was perfect but i thought it was good for my first try. As you can see in the pictures above my braid fell and the worst part it did it in the oven. My mother-in-law usually has the problem during the finally rising part and can fix it a little bit. I think I needed to let it rise a little bit longer before I put it in the oven. I did use instant yeast instead of active dry because I only had one packet of active dry yeast. So maybe that had something to do with it and I will have to try it next time with active dry yeast. Well I don't have to say it but this is a keeper and for now I am going to let my mother-in-law keep making it for the holidays and only make it on request from Mike.

This has also made me want to try and make brioche even more now and I am going to really try and make it this year!