The Baked Bite: Grammy’s Braided Orange Bread
One of my favorite memories from growing up is baking with my grandmother. When I was younger, about once a month, my parents would drop my brother and I off at my grandparents’ house on a Saturday morning and return the next day to pick us up. I loved these ‘sleepovers’. We would bake cookies, play the Game of Life, and drink Cran-Raspberry Ocean Spray juice.
I definitely get my love of baking from my grandmother - there is no one else in our family who enjoys it the way either of us do. Unfortunately, Grammy has Alzheimer’s, and she has not been able to cook or bake for many years. I was lucky enough to inherit her Recipe Box, however, and I am slowly making my way through her recipes and finding my favorites. This braided orange loaf caught my eye immediately. While it looks like Challah, it is not a Challah! It is basically a braided brioche dough, spiced up with cardamom and orange notes!
The Recipe: Braided Orange Bread
Note: This recipe is makes two loafs, but you can easily cut it in half to make one.
Ingredients:
5 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 & 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup reduced fat milk
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
2 whole eggs
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1/3 orange juice
For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp reduced fat milk
Instructions:
Add 2 cups of flour, the yeast, and the cardamom to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 20-30 seconds, until the mixture is well combined.
Combine the milk, butter, honey, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter and honey melt completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
While the butter mixture is cooling, combine orange zest and orange juice in a small bowl.
Once the milk mixture is lukewarm, add to the bowl with the flour. Then crack the two eggs into the bowl, and add the zest and juice. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for 1 minutes. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, and then beat on low speed for three more minutes.
Add the remaining 3 & 1/4 cups flour, and attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Knead on medium for 8-10 minutes, until a smooth, soft dough forms. To check if the dough is ready, grab a bit with your fingers and pull. The dough should pull a bit before breaking. If it breaks off immediately, continue kneading for a few minutes. If the mixture is batter like, add a tablespoon or two of flour and knead again for 2 minutes.
Grease a large bowl with avocado or coconut oil spray (or any vegetable oil), and turn the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the cling wrap goes directly on the dough so a skin does not form. Proof at room temperature (a great option is also putting in an off-oven with the light on) for an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half with a bench scraper or a sharp chef’s knife. Then cut each half into three equal sized thirds. Form each of the cut pieces into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the dough balls are resting, line two large two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with oil.
After fifteen minutes, form each of the dough balls into a long rope, just slightly shorter than the length of the baking sheet. Put three ropes on each of the baking sheets. Press the ropes together at one end firmly. Then braid the ropes like you are braiding hair. Watch YouTube videos of braiding three-string Challah if you need help with this step!
Cover each of the braids with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 30 more minutes, until puffy.
After thirty minutes, prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg yolk and tablespoon of milk. Use a pastry brush to cover the loaves with egg wash, getting into all the knooks and crannies of the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then cover each loaf loosely with tin foil and bake for 10 more minutes.