Braided Poppy Seed Bread

 1 loaf   200°C     40 minutes    30 + 40 minutes  

7.5 dl (750 ml) flour
25 g fresh yeast (or 2 tsp dry)
1 tsp sugar
2 dl (200 ml) lukewarm water
1 egg
0.5 dl (50 ml) sunflower oil
0.5 tbsp salt

For the top:
lukewarm milk
2 tsp poppy seeds

Put the flour in a big bowl. Make a hole in the middle. Crumble the yeast and put it in the hole, put sugar and water on top. Stir in the middle, just allowing a little bit of the flour to be mixed to a “pre dough”. Cover the bowl and let raise for 20-30 minutes.

Whisk egg, oil and salt. Pour over the “pre dough”. Work all ingredients together to a smooth dough. Divide the dough in 4, roll out to about 30 cm long and braid them together.

Put the braided dough on an oven tray and let raise for another 30-40 minutes.

Brush with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 30-40 minutes*. Let cool on a cooling rack.

* Fan oven: 175° about 45 minutes

Braided Poppy Seed Bread