Everything Bagel Braided Loaf
Not your ordinary braided loaf
Yall, I am a sucker for pretty food. I mean, there are some things we eat that just cant be made pretty. Lookin at you, cinnamon oatmeal. But other foods are just effortlessly beautiful. And I get downright giddy about it. And my kids have been around me long enough that I’ve rubbed off on them and now they get excited when food looks inviting. I actually made this everything bagel braided loaf last night and they all thanked me multiple times before the meal even started.
I love that I’m giving them so much more than bread. I’m giving them a home where mom regularly makes fresh bread just for them- an environment where they get to feel like the honored guests at the table. It’s for the same reason that I’ll randomly bust out the fine china on a Tuesday afternoon and yell “Tea Party!”. I’m catechizing them to know that children are the wealth of our home.
Now, just because this bread is simple enough for a weeknight dinner does not mean I won’t proudly share it with friends and neighbors. Oh, I definitely do. It pairs well with any meal- like this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup– and the everything topping just takes it over the top in terms of flavor. Sharing this bread is a sure way to make people feel cared for!
Everything Bagel Braided Loaf
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water (95° to 110°F)
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large eggs
Topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp water
- Everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
- First, you'll need to activate your yeast. Do this by adding the yeast, warm water and sugar into the bowl of your mixer. Leave it to sit for five minutes, or until it becomes foamy.
- Next, add the flour, salt, oil, and eggs to the activated yeast. Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough for five minutes. The dough should take shape and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out the dough into a large greased bowl and cover it with a clean dry towel. Let it rise for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Before you start working the dough, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- After your dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal sections using a dough scraper or knife.
- Take each section of dough and begin rolling them out into long ropes, maybe 12 inches long. I find it is best to start in the center of the dough, rolling my hands down and away from the center.
- Finally, once you have three ropes roughly the same size, lay them next to each other on your work surface, lengthwise in front of you. Pinch together the top ends of the dough and then begin braiding the loaf.
- Once the loaf is braided, pinch the bottom ends of the dough together and carefully tuck both the top and bottom ends underneath the loaf. Transfer to your parchment lined baking sheet and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Once your dough is soft and risen, mix together the egg, cream and water. Using a brush, gently brush on the egg mixture to every visible surface of the dough, then sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake in the oven on a middle rack for 28 minutes.
A work of art! The photos are just beautiful! You are such a good photographer!