Zopf

Zopf is a traditional plaited Swiss bread served on Sundays for breakfast.

Ingredients

Dough:

250 g bread flour

5 g salt
1.5 g active dry yeast
30 g butter
150 ml milk

Egg wash:

1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Preparation

Heat the milk and butter to approximately 40 °C, until the butter melts, stir in the yeast and the salt. Pour the liquid into the flour, knead the dough for 10 minutes. Cover with a wet tea towel and let it rise until doubled, approximately 2 hours.

Punch the dough and divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll each into a 50 cm rope, slightly thicker in the middle. Braid the strands; Lay the strands as shown below, hold end number 1 and end number 3 with your right and left hand, respectively, and interchange their position, left hand over the right hand. Then, hold ends number 2 and 4, interchange their position, right hand over the left hand. Continue with ends 1 and 3, left hand over the right hand. Continue alternately until the braid is complete, press the ends together.

Cover the braided zopf with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Brush the Zopf with egg wash and bake for approximately 30 minutes in the oven, preheated to 200 °C. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Makes 1 zopf.