Fluffy Braided Bread

PREPARATION

• 1
  I put one teaspoon of flour and one teaspoon of sugar into the lukewarm milk, mix thoroughly, crumble in the yeast, and let it activate.
• 2
  Once the yeast has activated, I thoroughly mix all ingredients except the butter, then finally add the butter and knead until bubbly.
• 3
  Covered with a kitchen towel, I let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approx. 40 minutes).
• 4
  Once the dough has risen nicely, I turn it out onto a floured board, divide it into three equal parts, roll them into ropes, braid them, then place them into a baking tin lined with baking paper, cover again with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for another 20-25 minutes.
• 5
  Before placing it in the oven, I brush the top with an egg yolk beaten with one tablespoon of milk and bake it in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius, on convection mode, for 30-35 minutes until done.
• 6
  Baking time varies by oven; perform a skewer test.
• 7
  I usually place a heatproof dish with water at the bottom of the oven for baking, as the steam generated is beneficial for yeast dough.
• 8
  If the top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil so that the inside also bakes through!