Zopf Recipe - Switzerland

Preparation:

Mix flour and salt in a bowl, add yeast, sugar, butter and milk, knead to a soft dough. Needs about 10 minutes by hand, 4 to 5 minutes when using a machine. Cover and let grow for about one hour until size has doubled.

Cut dough in two or four pieces of the same size. Weave as shown below.

Put bread on a sheet metal, covered with backing paper, sweep with water. Let grow again for about 30 to 60 minutes.

Before baking, sweep with the yellow of an egg.

Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes in the lower part of the pre-heated oven at about 200 degree Celsius (400 degree Fahrenheit).

Note: Serve within 2 to 3 days.

How to weave a Zopf:

There are many different ways to weave a Zopf, two are shown below. The easier way is to use two pieces of dough, a more difficult way requires 4 pieces.

Zopf made out of two pieces of dough:

Cut dough in two pieces of the same size. Twiddle each to an approx. 60 cm (24 inches) long roll, thinner towards the ends. Cross in the center as shown above. Put top right end to left low and low left end to top right, again as shown above. Then put top left end to right below and low right end to top left. Continue until no more dough is left. Press ends and put below bread.

Zopf made out of four pieces of dough:

Cut dough in four pieces of the same size. Twiddle each to an approx. 30 cm (12 inches) long roll. Put ends together as shown above on the very left. Put the first roll on the left across the second roll on the right, again as shown above. Then put the first roll on the right across the second roll on the left. Continue until no more dough is left. Press ends together and put below bread.

Recipe for Zopf (Bread)

Ingredients for 2 bread, about 800 gr (1.76 pounds) each:

Preparation:

How to weave a Zopf:

Zopf made out of two pieces of dough:

Zopf made out of four pieces of dough: