Guyanese Plait Bread

Guyanese plait bread is a soft, fluffy loaf of bread that is as beautiful as it is delicious. Serve it during the holidays with pepperpot or indulge as often as you’d like!

Guyanese Plait Bread

This post is dedicated to my late grandmother Inez Glen, from West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, Guyana. She baked homemade Guyanese plait bread every Saturday and it was the softest, tastiest bread. She passed down her cooking genes to all generations of our family and I am forever grateful that she gave us these traditions!

Although many Guyanese people reserve this plaited braid recipe for Christmas, I make it for my family whenever it is requested. And despite my own gluten-free diet, I often risk it all for a piece of this bread because is that irresistible!

You’ll smell it before you even see it. The mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked bread makes my entire home smell like a bakery when this is in the oven. Get ready for the best plait braid recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Plait Bread Recipe

• No Fancy Equipment Needed: Yes, making your dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook makes life a bit easier, but it is not necessary for this plait bread recipe.
• Great for Holidays: Some foods are the marker for special occasions and this is definitely one. There is nothing better to me than freshly baked bread, especially when paired with Pepperpot on Christmas morning. It’s comfort food at its finest!
• So Simple: You don’t need a special occasion to make bread when it is this easy! I’m sure you have the ingredients in your pantry right now. Mix it up and let it rise, you could have plait bread in about 2 hours.

What is Plait Bread?

Plait Bread (Guyanese Style) is a hand-kneaded white bread that is soft and buttery. It is perfect for stews and pairs nicely with Pepperpot!

Ingredients for Plait Bread

In the video below I accidentally added 1/2 cup of butter to my dough for this plait bread instead of 1/4 cup (what I typically use) but it made the bread the softest bread I’ve ever made. No need to use 1/2 cup of butter though 1/4 of butter produces great results and is all you really need.

• Dry active yeast: This is for texture, rise, and flavor.
• Warm water: It should be approximately 110°F.
• Brown sugar: This activates the yeast.
• All-purpose flour: For the structure of the bread, plus more for dusting.
• Salt: We use just a little to taste because too much salt will affect the rise.
• Butter: Room temperature butter is best for this recipe. It is added to the dough but also used to baste the bread once it’s done baking.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Plait Bread

Shaping the dough

Plait bread has a signature three strand weave or plait. Some people top that with a single strand, and some people leave it without. There is no right or wrong way, just depends on how your family did it.

How to Plait Bread with 3 Strands

Braiding the bread takes practice but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple.

Start by rolling the dough into three equal strips.

Then cross over right over left. Leaving the top open.

Continue to work your way all the way down.

Then rotate the ends and go right under the left to finish off the braid.

Continue all the way down and tuck the last bit under the loaf.

You can make the loaf with or without the topper strip of dough. That’s simply up to you.

Proofing the bread

For this recipe we proof the dough twice. Once before braiding and then after it has been braided. The second proof is the most important. You must be patient and allow it to proof for the full hour at room temperature. If you don’t your bread will rip apart in the center as it continues to rise during baking.

The Step by Step Video Tutorial

Substitutions & Variations

• Vegan. Make this Guyanese bread vegan by using vegan butter.
• Sugar. You can use white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. You will barely taste the difference.
• Same Recipe without Plaits. If you are not a fan of plait bread, use this recipe to make two loaves of bread instead. After the first rise, punch down and knead the dough into a ball, then divide the dough ball in half and roll into two logs. Place on a greased baking sheet or in two loaf pans and let the dough rise again before baking.
• Wholewheat Plait Bread. If you prefer wholewheat bread try this Guyanese Style Wholewheat Plait Bread recipe. It is an oldie but yields delicious results.

Equipment

• Whisk: This is used to combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients.
• Rubber Spatula: To scape the bowl and incorporate all the ingredients.
• Mixing Bowl: To contain the dough.
• Baking Sheet: For baking the plaited bread.

Storage

After the bread has completely cooled, place the loaf in a plastic bread bag to keep it soft and fresh. If you don’t have a bread bag you can wrap it with a clean kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.

Store it in a cool dry place for 2-3 days. Placing it in the fridge can make it stale prematurely.

Tips for the Best Plait Bread

• Have patience. This is not a quick bread. It needs time to rise, punch down and rise again before baking. But it is absolutely worth it!
• This bread is perfect for French toast (if it lasts long enough to get stale).
• To speed up the dough rising process, place covered dough in a warm oven (turn oven on to 200°F for 10 minutes, then shut it off). This is great to speed up the first proof, but should not be used for the second proof or your plait will rip apart.
• For best results let the second proof happen at room temperature and let it proof for the full hour.
• If the dough gets sticky add a little flour.
• Plait the bread tightly because it will loosen as it bakes.
• This bread is cooked uncovered but if it looks like it is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil.

FAQ