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Basic Recipes

Moist Braided Sweet Bread from Grandma's Baking Book

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Golden brown, shiny braided sweet bread with raisins baked in a loaf pan

4.8 (44)out of 5, 44 ratings

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Prep
10 min
Bake
30 min
Total
40 min
Makes
1

This recipe comes from an ancient baking book of my grandma's, where she wrote down her simple braided sweet bread with raisins by hand. Known in Germany as Hefezopf, it's exactly the kind of bake that smells of warm milk and butter and keeps you at the table when it comes out of the pan still warm. The braid has a soft, lightly sweet crumb, a shiny top and that typical flavor I know from my childhood.

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For me the trick lies in two details: I let the fresh yeast get foamy in warm milk first, before the rest of the ingredients go in, and I split the beaten egg, half into the dough and the other half onto the top for brushing. That way the braid turns out soft and moist inside and golden brown and shiny on top. The recipe works just as well in a loaf pan as free-form on a baking sheet, with raisins, chocolate chips or completely plain. The only important thing is to let the dough rise until doubled in size, then the crumb reliably stays fluffy. Here is my recipe for moist braided sweet bread from my grandma's baking book:

Ingredients

Makes 1

Yeast dough

  • 4 cups500 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes, plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 4 tbspgranulated sugar
  • ½ cubefresh yeast½ cube = 21 g. German recipes use either a 42 g cube of fresh yeast or a 7 g packet of dry yeast; one cube equals about two packets. In the US use active dry or instant yeast: one ¼ oz (7 g) envelope replaces half a cube of fresh yeast. In the UK use fast action dried yeast (a 7 g sachet per half cube), or fresh yeast from a supermarket bakery counter.
  • 1 cup250 mlmilk
  • 3 ½ tbsp50 gunsalted butterSoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1large egg
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • ½ cup80 graisinsOptional

Method

Yeast dough

  1. Make a well in the flour, crumble the yeast into it and cover it with some of the sugar & milk. Let it stand for 10 minutes.

  2. Add the remaining ingredients except the raisins. Knead for about 10 minutes, adding the raisins just before the end.

  3. Cover the dough and let it rise for at least one hour, or until it has doubled in volume.

  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) convection (fan).

  5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, dust with flour as needed and shape it however you like.

  6. My grandma braided a classic three-strand braid and placed it in a loaf pan greased with a little butter.

  7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until everything is golden brown.

Questions and answers

Can I make this braided bread with dry yeast instead of fresh yeast?
Yes, that's super easy. One packet of dry yeast (dried yeast sold in 7 g packets; in the US use instant or active dry yeast, one ¼ oz (7 g) envelope per packet; in the UK, fast action dried yeast, one 7 g sachet per packet) is about the same as half a cube of fresh yeast. I mix the dry yeast straight into the flour in the bowl and add the warm milk afterwards, so I don't need the foaming step first. The dough rises just as reliably.
What can I put in my braided bread instead of raisins?
You have lots of options. I think chocolate chips or chunky pieces of chocolate are amazing, an idea that came to me spontaneously while baking. Dried cranberries are wonderful too, or a mix of chopped almonds and candied orange peel (diced candied orange peel; in the US use candied orange peel; in the UK, candied orange peel or cut mixed peel). If you like it really simple, just leave everything out and you'll have a classic butter braid.
Do I really need a pan for this braided bread recipe?
No, you don't need a pan. I used my grandma's old loaf pan because I like it and the braid rises nice and tall in it. But on a large baking sheet (about 16 × 14 inches / 40 × 35 cm; a US half sheet pan, 18 × 13 inches, works too) lined with parchment paper, the braid holds its shape just as well, especially if you've braided it neatly. Both ways work reliably.
How do I make my braided bread really moist and not dry?
For me, three things are key. First, only knead the dough until it comes together and is just slightly tacky, don't overknead it. Second, give the dough enough time to rise, at least until it has doubled. And third, turn the braid out of the pan while it's still hot and let it cool covered, so the remaining moisture goes back into the crumb.
How long does braided bread keep and how do I store it?
Wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or in a bread box, the braid stays fresh for two to three days. Of course it tastes best freshly baked; for me, the classic is eating it lukewarm with a little butter. When it starts to lose some freshness, I cut off slices and toast them briefly, which brings back the buttery flavor. Frozen, the braid keeps well for a month.