Braided sweet bread is a delicious and gorgeous homemade bread that looks as good as it tastes. With a sweetened golden top crust and fluffy bread inside, you’re going to love this sweet bread recipe.
Sweet bread is really popular during Spring as people seek out sweet braided Easter bread recipes. This braided bread is perfect for the holidays, fun dinner parties, or simply wanting to enjoy the fun of making a loaf of homemade bread from scratch.
Tips for Making This Braided Bread Recipe
Unlike other yeast bread, this sweet bread is made using a baking sheet instead of a bread pan. Having your baking sheet lined with parchment paper helps to give a good bottom crust and makes clean up easier.
Topping the braided bread with turbinado sugar gives it a great way to add extra sweetness while making the bread look sparkly.
How is turbinado sugar different from regular sugar?
Turbinado sugar is a more natural brown sugar with more coarse granules and a darker coloration than regular sugar. The flavor is also a little different because it retains some of that natural plant flavor and molasses that more refined sugars lack.
How can you tell when the bread is fully baked?
Most bread needs to cook until they reach 190-200 degreed F. Bread recipes that contain milk need to reach 00 degrees, whereas those that don’t need to reach 190. This recipe doesn’t have milk, so you can pull it out of the oven once a digital thermometer reaches 190. The tops should be a nice golden brown color.
Braided Sweet Bread Ingredients
-2 TBSP yeast
-1 cup warm water
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1/3 cup canola oil
-1 egg
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-3-3 1/2 cups flour
-1 egg whisked with 1 TBSP water for textured top
-2 TBSP turbinado sugar
How to Make Braided Sweet Bread
In a large bowl, dissolve the granulated sugar in warm water. Add yeast and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add in the canola oil, egg, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Form the dough into a smooth ball. Keeping the dough in the bowl, spray it with non-stick spray and then cover then bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
Punch down the dough before kneading for 1 minute, then divide the dough into 3 same sized portions.
Roll each portion out into long logs and set them up on the counter side by side.
Braid the three pieces of bread together and then pinch together then end pieces and tuck them under the roll. Carefully place the loaf on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops thoroughly with egg mixture and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Let the loaf sit while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees F, or for about 10 minutes.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the outside is a golden brown color and the internal temperature of loaf registers 195-200 degrees. Let it cool. Slice & then enjoy with butter!
Sweet Braided Bread
Braided sweet bread is a delicious and gorgeous homemade bread that looks as good as it tastes. With a sweetened golden top crust and fluffy bread inside, you’re going to love this sweet bread recipe.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Raising Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 144kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp yeast
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-3/12 cups flour
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
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In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Add yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.
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Add the canola oil, egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes.
-
Form dough into a smooth ball. Keeping the dough in the bowl, spray with non-stick spray and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.
-
Punch down dough. Knead for 1 minute, then divide the dough into 3 same sized portions.
-
Roll each out into long logs and set them up on the counter side by side.
-
Braid the three pieces of bread together and then pinch together then end pieces and tuck them under the roll. Carefully place the loaf on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
-
Brush thoroughly with egg mixture and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
-
Let the loaf sit while oven is preheating to 350 degrees F, or about 10 minutes.
-
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until outside is golden brown and internal temperature of loaf registers 195-200 degrees. Let cool. Slice & enjoy with butter!
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Why does my braided bread split?
This is often a result of your bread not being braided tightly enough, or the dough not being kneaded enough. With practice you should be able to get more comfortable with the dough and figuring out the right way to make a tight braid.
How to cut braided bread
How to cut braided breadDespite the different appearance, you can still slice your bread like normal using a bread knife. Making slices is a great way to serve the braided bread in multiple same sized pieces, but if you want to be creative and cut each lump to be its own piece, you can do that as well.
You’re going to love this golden topped, light and fluffy braided sweet bread recipe. It’s a show stopping homemade bread that tastes great and looks incredible.
