Braided Swiss Bread

So I had every intention of taking pictures of every step of the cooking process. Then I didn't remember to take pictures until the dough was done. Sorry - looks like I'm not cut out to start a cooking blog after all.

Here's what you'll need.

1 cup warm water
3 T. dry yeast
1 T. salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 2/3 cup milk
2 T. butter
4 eggs
10 cup flour

Now if you're like me and staring at your 4 qt kitchen aide wondering if it could possibly hold 10 cups of flour - I'm here to tell you it can be done! So here we go with the step by step process.

• Combine warm water, yeast sugar and salt in bowl. Let sit for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile melt your butter in a saucepan and add the milk. Heat until very warm.
• Add milk mixture to yeast mixture.
• Add eggs and 4 cups of the flour. Start mixing.
• Add 1 cup of flour at a time.
• If you working in a small kitchenaide here's where it gets tricky. When I got to cups 9 & 10 of flour I had to unlock my mixer and hold it up a little from the bowl so the dough wouldn't go over the paddle. Knead for 6-8 minutes. If you're scared to ruin your mixer go ahead and do it by hand.
• This makes a soft/sticky dough. Split the dough in half and put in two greased bowls.

Sidenote: you're definitely going to want to grease your hands before you attempt to split the dough by hand.

Okay - if your dough looks something like this you're doing great so far!

Cover and let rise until double.
My friend Bree asked how long that was I told her one batch in the dryer - she had never heard the secret of putting dough on the dryer to rise. It's actually folding that batch in the dryer that is the hard part for me.
Really - the hard part is done if you've come this far. Now before you get your hands sticky go grease 4 bread pans.

Each bowl will make 2 loaves of bread. So take half out of one bowl and put on floured surface. You'll need two peices to braid with for each loaf - so yes, split that dough again.

Roll out each piece until it is about 18 inches long.

Now watch the video (at the bottom) of Bree braiding the bread a couple of times to see how you do it. Basically you make an X with the dough and then do under - over - under until you're out of dough to work with. Then tuck the end under so you can only see the braided part.

Cover let the dough raise again until it looks about how big a loaf of bread should be.

Put in the oven at 350 for 22 minutes. Keep an eye on it because altitudes and ovens are a little different.

Only 3 loaves came out of my oven - Bree who helped me make this batch had already taken hers home. Our braids weren't as perfect this time around - mostly because I let her braid - kidding, Bree. It was me who rolled out uneven pieces to braid with.

*If you like fancy shiney bread go ahead and do the egg brushing thing on top. If it grosses you out like it does me take a good old stick of butter and rub it on the top to get rid of any flour that you can still see.

I had a video of me doing the braiding but I wasn't nearly as thorough as Bree is... so follow her expert ways. This was really only her 2nd time so it can't be that hard -right?

My new favorite way to eat this bread is toasted with butter and a little bit of cinnamon-sugar on top it's just as good as a cinnamon roll. MMMMMMMMMmmm goodluck ya'll!