BRAIDED BREAD
These Braided Loaf bread are too good to miss! With just 6 Staple Pantry Ingredients, your artisan style bread is so easy to make – it will soon become your go-to recipe.
Perfect Everyday Bread loaf recipe – Ideal accompaniment for breakfast with my 3 Ingredients Instant Pot Strawberry jam or with Butternut Squash Soup.
Learn to how to make this Three Strand Plaited Loaf Bread Recipe with detailed instructions. { Video Tutorial included } You got to try it NOW!
CHALLAH LIKE BREAD – Perfectly Baked PLAITED LOAF every Single Time!
I loved making dinner rolls, breads, naan breads and lots of flatbreads. But somehow before I actually snap pictures of breads, they all seem to be gone from my kitchen!
I know how much you all lovely SOFT DINNER ROLLS – LADI PAV RECIPE.
My house smelled just like a bakery today and my family kept coming and peeping into the oven. Aroma of the freshly baked bread is so enticing!!
We are pretty lucky, that this time, I managed to make two loaves at the same time and this did give me an opportunity to snap pictures.
We have a Ginormous Braid! It’s soft, delicate, pillow-y and oh so perfect in texture!
This recipe measurement works well for Four, Five, Six and Eight Strand Plaited Loaf too!
PLAITED ARTISAN WHITE BREAD RECIPE
This recipe for Braided Bread is literally dump, knead, proof, braid and bake to make delicious homemade loaf. How easy is that!!
To make this vegan challah bread, I use my stand mixer and let the dough hook do all the kneading for me. I also use my Instant Pot to proof my dough!
I really cannot do without my STAND MIXER AND INSTANT POT for Fresh Homemade Bread Recipes ! Both these gadgets are absolute timer savers right from kneading the dough to proofing.
Since I am using Instant Fast Actioned Dried Yeast, you don’t have to activate the yeast separately and wait for it get frothy. But do check the expiry date on the Yeast packet before using.
WATCH A QUICK VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE BRAIDED WHITE LOAF BREAD
TIPS FOR MAKING EASY WHITE PLAITED BREAD AT HOME
Measure out the Ingredients for White Braid Plait Recipe – Weighing out the ingredients is absolutely essential for a perfect loaf bread. Keep in mind, the quantity of flour will vary depending upon the location and weather. You might even need to add more flour or less flour depending upon the humidity and altitude
WATER – Using Warm water is essential for the recipe. Unlike Dinner Rolls, milk is not required for this recipe. Amount of water required is between 310 – 325ml. I would suggest adding in 2 – 3 additions to judge the amount of water needed.
Time of the day also is crucial in deciding this. When I was kneading my dough late afternoon, my dough turned out to be a little sticky with 325 ml. So I added a little more flour to offset the stickiness. I think this is also because of the heat and humidity in the weather.
At the same time, when I was kneading my dough in the morning, this proportion worked perfect. I did not require any extra flour to the recipe.
Butter or Olive Oil – Either of them work great to make our plaited loaf bread. I do use either of them, depending on whats quicker to reach!
Check the Expiry Date for Yeast – Yeast plays an essential role in our bread recipes, so it is required to have a validity period.
PROOFING THE DOUGH is an essential step. You can do it in the Instant Pot or in the conventional method using Greased Bowl. Both the methods work really well. However Instant Pot proofing speeds up the process.
Eggwash or Milkwash is a key step too. This will lend a gorgeous sheen on the bread– too good to resist.
Position the baking tray in the lower rack as this will prevent the bread from burning.
HOW DO YOU KEEP HOMEMADE BREAD FRESH?
Store homemade bread at room temperature in a cool dry place for up to 2-3 days. When the weather is hot and humid, it can lead the bread to mold. Storing the bread in the refrigerator can stale it quickly.
HOW TO MAKE BRAIDED BREAD?
To make Soft Braided Bread Loaf, you will need only 6 ingredients
Strong Bread Flour
Warm Water – Use warm water instead of hot or cold water.
Instant Yeast – I like to use Instant Fast Action dried yeast in my recipe. This will save us additional time for activating and foaming.
Salt
Sugar
Softened Butter or Olive Oil– If you are using Softened Butter, room temperature butter will work best!
PROOFING THE BREAD DOUGH
BREAD PROOFING is an essential step for any pillowy bread. However this can be daunting too!
A lot of factors needed to be considered when it comes to PROOFING { Allowing the dough to first rise and second rise }. Sometimes there can be too much humidity, too much chillness and what not.
Proofing in the Instant Pot works well in all conditions. If you do not have an Instant Pot, use the second method, which is universally known.
HOW TO PROOF DOUGH IN INSTANT POT ?
This Instant Pot hack makes the dough proofing quick and easy! Be it dinner rolls or braided bread or vegan challah bread, I find proofing dough in Instant Pot works great every single time, irrespective of the weather and time!
Grease the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot with butter/ oil.
Place the dough in the greased pot. Close the lid and leave the knob in venting.
Select the Yogurt Setting and set the external timer for 30 mins. When the timer beeps, cancel the yogurt setting. Open the lid to see the dough doubled.
Deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
HOW TO PROOF THE DOUGH WITH GREASED BOWL?
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or your Instant Pot does not have a Yogurt button, use this method.
Grease a large bowl and transfer the kneaded dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp towel. Allow the it rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours at room temperature or until it doubles the size.
Before I had an Instant Pot, I would place the prepared bowl inside the Oven with the light switch on. This trick also helps in creating a warm atmosphere for the dough to rise.
Remove the cling film/ plastic wrap. Deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
BRAID & SECOND RISE
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Punch the dough and divide them into three or five equal portions. Roll them them into long ropes and braid / plait them together just like braiding your hair.
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Transfer the bread to lined baking sheet. Cover with towel for a second rise. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes – 45 minutes depending upon the weather and altitude.
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Brush the rolls with milk or egg wash.
BAKE THE BREAD
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Preheat oven to 200 C. Position the Tray into the lower shelf of the oven. Bake the plaited load bread for 25- 30 minutes until cooked through or until the top is golden brown.
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If the bread are getting a bit brown, cover them with a foil sheet and continue to cook.
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Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the hot rolls with melted butter. Serve these plaited loaves immediately or store up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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IF YOU LOVE THIS BRAIDED BREAD,
YOU WILL ALSO LOVE THESE..
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE ?
Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a ★ rating!
Post a photo of your creation on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sandhyaskitchen. I would love to see your pictures of this easy braided bread loaf.
RECIPE FOR PLAITED LOAF BREAD – BRAIDED BREAD

Ingredients
- 500 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 7 g Instant Fast Action Dried Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 15 g Olive Oil or Softened Butter
- 325 - 340 ml Warm Water
- Egg Wash/ Milk Wash
Instructions
KNEAD THE DOUGH
- Add flour, salt, sugar and yeast to the mixing bowl of the stand mixer.
- Add butter and water in 3 parts to the dry mixture. Stir it to combine well with a silicone spatula.
- Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to medium speed and mix until the dough is kneaded well. This will approximately take 5 minutes.
- Alternatively to knead by hand, add all the ingredients in a bowl and knead until soft. This can take up to 20 minutes.
HOW TO PROOF THE DOUGH ?
- Grease a large bowl and transfer the kneaded dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp towel. Allow the it rise for 1 hour at room temperature or until it doubles the size.
- Remove the cling film/ plastic wrap. Deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
HOW TO PROOF DOUGH IN INSTANT POT?
- Grease the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot with butter/ oil.
- Place the dough in the greased pot. Close the lid and leave the knob in venting.
- Select the Yogurt Setting and set the external timer for 30 mins. I always use my Google Home OR external timer for a 30 minutes reminder. When the timer beeps, cancel the yogurt setting. Open the lid to see the raised dinner roll dough.
- Deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
BRAID THE DOUGH & SECOND RISE
- Pinch pieces of the dough and Divide them into 3 Pieces or 5 Pieces and roll them into long equal portions of ropes.
- Braid the dough ropes just as you would do your hair and tuck them under to seal.
- Transfer the braided dough to a sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Brush the rolls with milk or egg wash.
BAKE THE BRAIDED BREAD
- Preheat oven to 200 C. Position the Tray into the middle shelf of the oven and bake the plaited loaf for 25-30 minutes until cooked through or until the top is golden brown.
- If the loaf bread are getting a bit brown, cover them with a foil sheet and continue to cook.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve them with your favourite spread like this Homemade Strawberry Jam.
It looks super rich yet has few ingredients, this is definitely my type of bread recipe! Love that you added a video; it’s very helpful.
I love this kind of breads. They are so tasty with butter and jam!
Thank you Julia. You will love these.. Its a tried and tested plaited loaf!
Thanks for the tip about kneading and time of day (heat/humidity). I’m pretty new to baking and knowing that ahead of time really helps me feel confident that I can do this. I’m excited to try!
Best instructions ever! I am so bad at baking bread and even I can follow the instructions. Thank you so much!
You will love it Jen. Its a very simple recipe and you just cannot go wrong!
The bread is tasty and a joy to work with. I love that it is using minimal ingredients too.
Thank you Anita. Sometimes, it’s a pleasure to work with minimal list of ingredients.
Very delicious, however the outside layer was very hard like a shell…. But the inside was very very fluffy.. any recommendations?
Thank you
Can I use all purpose flour? Is there flour called “bread flour”?
You can use All Purpose flour for the recipe Rose. But yes, there is flour called BREAD FLOUR.
Can I use wholewheat flour for this recipe?
I have not tried it Rachana, so I may not be able to comment on it.
Made bread this bread today and it was fantastic, it’s almost gone! Thank you for a great and easy recipe. I never knew you could proof in the instant pot, giving me another reason to use that appliance. Thanks again!
How wonderful Alyssa So glad you all loved the braided bread!
This braided bread is not only beautiful but looks yummy too. The texture and taste are still a mystery to me but will definitely give it a try soon.
AMAZING RECIPE! Thank you so much! I made challah bread for the very first time today following your recipe, and it was a slam-dunk success! I will definitely be making this again!
Fantastic to know you enjoyed our easy Braided bread. They are just so good…