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Braided bread (Zopf)

There are dozens of types of bread in Switzerland. The Zopf is a typical Bernese Sunday treat. Some people think it owes its origins to a custom whereby widows cut off a braid of their hair and buried it with their husbands. As time went on, they buried a loaf in the same shape instead of their hair. The Zopf - or Züpfe as it is called in Berne - has been known in Switzerland since at least the middle of the 15th century. 

Ingredients for 2 loaves:

• 2 ¼ lbs white flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 oz dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 ½ oz butter or soft margarine
• 1 ½ pts milk
• 1 egg yolk

Method:

1. Melt the butter and stir in the milk.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, make a hollow in the center and add the yeast and milk and butter mixture, mix to a soft dough. This will take about ten minutes by hand, or 4-5 minutes by machine.
3. Cover with a cloth and leave for about one hour at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. Knead till smooth.
4. Cut dough into four pieces of the same size. (i.e. two pieces per loaf.) Form each into a sausage shape with tapering ends. Braid as shown below.
5. Put the loaves on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper, brush with water. Leave to rise again for between 30 minutes and an hour.
6. Before baking, brush with the egg yolk.

Bake for 45 - 55 minutes in the lower part of the pre-heated oven at about 400 degrees.

Serve within 2 to 3 days.

Zopf made out of two pieces of dough:

Cut dough in two pieces of the same size. Twiddle each to an approx. 60 cm (24 inches) long roll, thinner towards the ends. Cross in the center as shown on the left. Put top right end to left low and low left end to top right, again as shown in the picture. Then put top left end to right below and low right end to top left. Continue until no more dough is left. Press ends and put below bread.