December 2011 - Zopf (Swiss Sunday bread)

Zopf (Swiss Sunday bread)

Ingredients for two large or three smaller breads:

1 kg flour
1 tbl spoon salt
1 tbl spoon sugar
30 gr fresh yeast or 10 gr dried yeast
125 gr butter
600 ml milk
1 egg yolk to glaze

Method:

Put flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and mix. Add yeast (crumbled if fresh) and mix again.

Melt butter and mix with milk. Add to the flour mixture and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until you get an elastic smooth dough. Alternatively, mix with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, but finish kneading by hand for another couple of minutes.

Rinse the bowl, put the dough back in and let rise for about an hour in a warm spot, until it doubles in volume.

Divide into two or three parts, form plaits or another form, put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, brush them with water and let them rise again for 20 to 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200° C.

Glaze the loaves with egg yolk and bake for 40 to 55 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. They should sound hollow if you tap the underside.

Zopf tastes delicious with butter and jam, but is equally nice with cheese and cold meats.

It keeps for at least two days and can easily be frozen and warmed up once thawed.