Zopf (Swiss Braided Butter Bread)

Prep 40m Cook 35m Total 1h 15m medium

breadbakingswissbraidedbreakfast

Method

1
Mix the flour, milk and sugar until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for the autolyse. 30m
520 g

bread flour

100 %
280 g

milk

53.8 %
5.0 g

sugar

1.0 %
2
Add the remaining milk and sugar, the yeast, salt and softened butter. Mix for about 3 minutes, until the butter is taken up.
50 g

milk

9.6 %
10 g

sugar

1.9 %
7.0 g

instant yeast

1.3 %
10 g

salt

1.9 %
60 g

butter

11.5 %
3
Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and stretches into a thin windowpane. Check the dough temperature.
Target: dough 26°C 79°F

Note: aim for about 26°C at the start of bulk; warmer or cooler shifts the timing
4
Cover and bulk ferment until roughly doubled and airy. 1h 15m–1h 30m
Note: at 1¼ hours the dough can still feel slightly flat, so give it the full time
5
Turn the dough out and divide it into 2 equal pieces, about 470g each. Roll each into a short log, cover and rest so the gluten relaxes. 10m
6
Roll each piece into a rope about 60cm long, thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends.
7
Lay the ropes across each other in a plus sign. Fold the two ends of the bottom rope over the top one so they swap sides, then do the same with the other rope. Repeat until the ropes run out, pinch the ends together and tuck them under. Set the braid on the lined baking sheet.
8
Brush the braid with beaten egg.
—

egg
9
Heat the oven while the loaf proofs.
Target: oven 400°F 205°C
10
Proof until puffy and a floured fingertip leaves a dent that springs back slowly. 35–45m
11
Optional: brush with a second coat of egg for a deeper gloss.
12
Bake until deep golden brown and the centre reaches target temperature. Tent with foil if the top browns too fast. 30–35m
Target: oven 400°F 205°C, internal 90°C 194°F
13
Cool on a rack before slicing. 30m

A same-day straight dough with no preferment, braided into one large loaf. Most of the milk goes into a short autolyse with the flour and a little sugar; the yeast, salt, butter and remaining milk and sugar go in the second mix. Allow about 3½–4 hours from first mix to a loaf out of the oven.

Bulk fermentation needs its full time. At about 26°C the dough still felt slightly flat after 1¼ hours. Go by volume, not the clock: it should be roughly doubled and airy before you divide it. A cooler kitchen means a longer bulk.

Salt is about 2% of the flour, up from the 1% (5g) in the original bake, which was low for Zopf.

The bake temperature and time weren't recorded, so treat 400°F for 30–35 minutes as a starting point. Milk, sugar and egg wash all brown quickly, so tent with foil if the top darkens before the loaf is done.

Formula summary: 100% bread flour, milk 63.5%, butter 11.5%, sugar 2.9%, instant yeast 1.3%, salt 1.9%. The hydration on the Formula tab counts all the milk as water. Milk is about 87% water, so the true hydration is closer to 55%.