Swiss Bread

Directions

• 1)

  In a small bowl, gently mix the water, milk, sugar and yeast together and let it stand until the yeast blooms, about 5 minutes.

• 2)

  After the yeast blooms, stir in the salt, whole egg, and egg yolks.

• 3)

  Add flour to a large mixing bowl and pour in yeast mixture. Gently mix until almost fully incorporated.

• 4)

  Turn the dough out on a heavily floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Be careful, it’s super sticky!) Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and move the kneaded dough to the bowl, rolling gently to fully grease the dough on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area until doubled in bulk, at least 2 hours.

• 5)

  Punch the dough down and cut into three equal pieces. On a lightly floured board, shape each piece of dough with your hands into a 14-inch long rope. Put the three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid them as you would hair (pinching the ends and tucking them under to keep the braid intact). At this point, you can leave the loaf on the baking sheet or place it in a large bread pan.

• 6)

  Brush the braid with melted butter. Let the loaf proof once more until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

• 7)

  While the dough is proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F.

• 8)

  Brush the egg wash over the risen loaf.

• 9)

  Bake the loaf for 25 to 30 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.