Züpfe (Zopf) Recipe

• 1 kg / 2.2 lb of strong white flour
• 30 grams / 1 oz of dry active yeast
• 2 cups of Milk
• 125 grams / 5 oz of Butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• egg for glazing

Measure the flour into a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast with a little warm milk. Melt the butter and let it cool down again to lukewarm or cooler. If the butter is added too hot it will destroy the yeast and the bread will not rise. Mix the butter, yeast and milk mixture and the remaining ingredients into the flour to form a dough. Place the dough onto a lightly floured bench or board and knead well for around 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put the dough back into the clean bowl, cover with a clean, warm and wet cotton tea or kitchen towel and put aside in a warm spot for around 1 hour, to double in size.

After an hour cut the dough in two halves of equal weight, shape into long rolls and plait them together. Place the Zopf onto a lined or greased baking tray, cover with the wet towel and leave to rise a second time in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F or Gas Mark 6). Brush the Zopf evenly with beaten egg and bake for about 30 to40 minutes.

An easy way to know if the bread is cooked through when you remove it from the oven is to knock on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, the bread is cooked. If doesn't sound hollow - bake it for another 5 minutes.

(Serves 4)