Plait Bread

Guyanese plait bread is a soft, fluffy braided white bread. It is traditionally enjoyed on Christmas morning with pepperpot but you can make it anytime you like!

Course Bread

Cuisine Guyanese

Keyword 3 plait bread recipe, Guyanese plait bread, how to bake guyanese plait bread, plait bread, plait bread guyana, plait bread recipe, plait bread vs challah, plaiting bread dough

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 25

Servings Servings

Calories 278kcal

Author Althea Brown

Equipment

Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Mixing Bowl
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup warm water (110 °F)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
3 1/2 cup all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup room temperature butter (plus 1 tablespoon for basting after baking)

Instructions

In a small bowl combine the warm water and sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves, then add the yeast and give it a stir. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place to bloom.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix well. Then using a fork or your fingers mix the butter into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly.
Next, form a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture then add the bloomed yeast. Using a whisk mix together to slowly form a pancake batter consistency, this is best achieved using a whisk. Then use your hands or a rubber spatula to pull the rest of the flour into the mixture to form a soft dough ball.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth ball or until the dough bounces back when pressed with a finger.
Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise until it doubles in size. This takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When the dough doubles in size, punch down and knead again into a smooth ball. Then if adding the topper to the bread, cut a 2 inch piece of dough off from the ball and set aside.
Divide the remaining dough into 3 equal parts. Tuck the cut ends of each piece of dough into the bottom (see photos above) and roll into long logs about 12 to 15 inches long.
Next starting in the middle, braid the three pieces into a braid by going right over to center, then left over to center (step by step images are in the write up above). Go all the way to the end and tuck the ends into the bottom.
Then flip the loaf over bringing the open ends to you and repeat the steps for braiding the open end. Then tuck the ends into the top. If this is confusing following the images under the section on "How to braid Plait Bread" above.
If using the topper, roll the 2 inch piece of dough that was set aside earlier into a long strip, place the strip on top of the braided loaf tucking the ends under the loaf, then place the loaf on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for at least an hour at room temperature.
When ready to bake Preheat oven to 350 °F. Add the bread to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with 1 tablespoon of butter, move to a cooling rack and cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Notes

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.
After my bread cools I place it into a bread bag to keep it fresh. If you don't have a bread bag you can wrap it with a clean kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.
To make Guyanese Aniseed bread 1 teaspoon of anise seeds to 1 1/4 cups of boiling water and allow to sit until the water cools down (about 110°F). Then follow the steps for making plait bread dough, using this water to bloom the yeast.

Nutrition