BRAIDED APPLE BREAD

This  Braided  Apple Bread looks insanely good yet  really easy to make.  You can use any sweet dough  or dinner rolls recipe for making this braided bread.  It can be shaped according to your preference but most common shape is simply an oblong loaf.  They can also be knotted or twisted into complex shapes.

The dough used in braided breads vary. Some are rich with eggs or butter and they may be brushed with egg for a glossy finish.  They can also be mixed with raisin, nuts, dried fruit or spices for added flavor.

Feel free to choose your own  filling by substituting with your favorite jam or preserves. The stuffing can be made  either sweet or savory too. Before adding more brown sugar to the apples, have a bite to see whether you need extra dose of sweetness, it all depend on apple you'd use.


BRAIDED APPLE BREAD
Yield   :     2 loaves

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp instant yeast
2  tablespoon melted butter
2/3 cup warm milk

FILLING

3 medium apples peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar or to taste
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD

Place flour, sugar and  instant yeast  in a mixing bowl.

Combine milk, melted butter and salt, stir until well incorporated.

Gradually add milk mixture to the dry ingredients and forms into a soft dough.

Transfer onto floured board, knead by hand for 8 minutes until smooth.

Place dough into oiled and covered bowl, let rise until doubled for 1-1.5 hours.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve the filling until ready to fill the braids.

Punch  down  dough, divide into 2 balls. On floured board, roll each ball into rectangle about  1 cm  thick , keep the the other half  covered.

Spread the filling in the center of the dough, leaving 1.5 in  free on all the sides of the dough. Using pizza cutter, cut 1 in strips along the sides , making sure both sides have same number of strips.

Beginning on the left, lift the strip across the filling diagonally. Repeat the same with other side of the dough so that  the 2 strips crisscross each other to form into a loaf.

Repeat the rolling, filling and braiding steps for the  second  piece. Rest the dough covered for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven @ 190C, bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Immediately brush them with melted butter after removing from the oven.

Leave to cool on the rack for 15 minutes before serving.

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