Traditional Swiss Bread Recipes

SWISS SUNDAY BREAD

Steps:

• Place flour into a bowl, creating a small hole in the center. Sprinkle salt around the edge and place yeast and sugar into the hole.
• Mix egg and egg white together in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to reach the 1 1/4 cup mark. Stir in milk. Add melted butter. Pour into the center of the flour. Mix thoroughly, adding more milk or flour as needed until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Cut dough in 1/2. Form each 1/2 into a long roll. Lay rolls out in front of you on a work surface in an 'X' shape. Braid bread by constantly switching the ends. Place bread onto a baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Brush bread with beaten egg using a pastry brush.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack until golden, about 30 minutes.

GRITTIBANZ BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the yeast with a little of the sugar.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt, remaining sugar, butter, and milk, egg, and yeast.
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise to twice the amount in a warm place.
• Knead the dough again, use a knife to cut off pieces of dough in the desired size and roll out to an oval shape.
• Shape the dough into the shape of a person, with head, arms and legs.
• Use almonds, raisins, and candied fruit to decorate the dough. Leave to rise in a cool place for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350°F.

ZOPF (TRADITIONAL SWISS PLAITED BREAKFAST BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix together all ingredients except egg yolk to make a soft dough. Knead 10 minutes or so.
• Divide into 4 and make long sausages with the dough.
• Form the sausages into 2 square crosses.
• Plait each cross, using a 4 strand plait, so that you end up with two loaves of plaited bread.
• Put in the fridge until ready to bake- overnight, for example.
• Paint the loaves with a little of the egg yolk.
• Place a water bath under the oven shelf. Bake in the bottom half of a 220 degree Celcius preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down and bake at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.

GRANDMA'S SWISS NEW YEAR'S BREAD (ZUEPFE)

Steps:

• Pour yeast into 1 cup water and set aside.
• Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until scalding, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter to melt; add remaining 2 cups warm water. Add eggs and salt; mix until all butter is melted. Pour in yeast mixture and stir.
• Beat 4 cups flour into the cream mixture with an electric mixer until well combined, adding more flour as needed to make a very stiff dough.
• Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead in about 4 more cups of flour until it is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks. Turn into a large greased bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Knead down and let rise again, about 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into 6 long strands. Overlap 2 strands at a time into an upside-down "U" and braid. Place onto an ungreased baking sheet. Combine beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; brush loaf with wash. Let rise for about 20 minutes more.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating.