Twisted Bread Recipes

SAVORY CHEDDAR TWIST BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup grated cheese, and salt. Add in warm milk, yeast, and eggs. Stir and knead with the dough attachment (or by hand) until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5-7 minutes. Add in additional flour as needed.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise until dough is nearly doubled, about an hour to an hour and a half.
• Meanwhile, make the herb butter. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with the garlic, and minced herbs.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Spread the herb butter over the dough, leaving an inch border.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the butter.
• Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a long log. Seal the edges.
• Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving the top attached.
• Keeping the filling side up, twist or "braid" the logs together. Pinch the ends together.
• Butter a large 9 x 5-inch loaf pan using baking spray. Transfer the bread carefully to the prepared loaf pan.
• Cover the bread in the pan with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise, until puffy but not doubled, about 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, until the tops start to brown.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and sprinkle the top with additional cheese, if desired. Continue baking for another 20- 25 minutes, until the bread is lightly browned. If it is browning too easily, tent a foil over the bread until it cooks completely.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Serve bread warm and store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS STAR TWISTED BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy. In another bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, sugar and salt; add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 4 portions. Roll 1 portion into a 12-in. circle. Place on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with one-third of the jam to within 1/2 in. of edge. Repeat twice, layering dough and jam, and ending with final portion of dough., Place a 2-1/2-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle (do not press down). With a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from round cutter to edge of dough, forming a starburst. Remove cutter; grasp 2 adjacent strips and rotate twice outward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips., Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. (Watch during final 5 minutes for any dripping.) Remove from oven; brush with melted butter, avoiding areas where jam is visible. Cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

TWISTED SPICED BREAD WITH HONEY & TAHINI BUTTER

Steps:

• Warm 120ml milk and the butter in a small saucepan until melted. Leave to cool to lukewarm.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg and warmed milk, then mix until just combined. If it seems a little dry, add an extra 20ml milk. Knead the mixture on a gentle speed using a dough hook for 5-8 mins, or until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed. If you don't have a stand mixer, combine everything in a bowl, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 mins. Shape the dough into a ball and leave to prove in a large, lightly oiled bowl covered with a tea towel for 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size.
• To make the filling, combine the ingredients and set aside.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Roll the proved dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 40cm square. Spread the filling evenly over the dough using a palette knife, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Roll the dough up into a tight log, starting with the end furthest from you - it should measure roughly 40cm in length. Cut the dough log in half lengthways down the middle so you have two long pieces laying beside each other, horizontally, cut-side up. Pinch together at both ends, then pick up the ends and twist the pieces around each other, as though you're making a rope.
• Transfer the loaf to the prepared sheet. Loosely cover and let it prove in a warm place until doubled in size again, about 45 mins-1 hr. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Put the sheet in the centre of the oven and bake for 35-40 mins, covering loosely with foil if it starts to become too dark during baking. When ready, the loaf should be golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool slightly for 15 mins if you're serving it warm, or leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the tahini butter, mix the ingredients with a pinch of salt using a wooden spoon until combined. To make the icing, mix the sugar with 1 tbsp warm water until smooth, adding more if it's too thick. Drizzle over the loaf and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if using. Slice the loaf and serve with the honey & tahini butter. Best eaten the day it's made.