Butter Braided Bread with Pear Jam Filling
From zesteasy.- Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 envelope dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend, room temperature
- 4 cups (about) unbleached all-purpose flour I only needed 3 1/2 cups
- 3/4 cup pear or raspberry jam (or other filling of your choice)
- 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tbsp. water
Scald milk in heavy, medium saucepan. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Let stand until butter melts. Pour mixture into large bowl. Cool to 105 to 115 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature.
Add yeast mixture and 1 beaten egg to milk mixture. Stir in enough flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form soft, slightly sticky dough. Lightly grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Grease two heavy large cookie sheets. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 2 minutes. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out between hands and floured surface to 18 inch long rope. Using a rolling pin, roll each rope flat, into about, a 3 inch wide strip.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of jam (or filling of your choice) down the length of each strip. Fold dough over filling to seal in jam in the ropes. You can brush the edges of the dough with a bit of water to help seal the dough.
Arrange 3 ropes side by side on 1 prepared sheet. Braid ropes. Pinch ends together and tuck under loaf. Repeat process with remaining 3 ropes on second cookie sheet for second loaf. Cover each loaf with kitchen towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush egg wash over loaves. Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.
Yield: 2 loaves.