One of the simplest ways to make your holiday table lovely is by taking the time to braid your bread. Like Mother, Like Daughter has a great post on how to make your bread braids turn out even, lovely, and consistent. Here are the highlights from the photo tutorial.
1. Be gentle.
Don’t over-knead your dough, especially for braided breads. Braiding the bread means adding to the amount of time you spend handling the bread, so knead just a touch less than you might normally do for your recipe to avoid a tough bread.
2. Start in the middle.
When you braid hair, you don’t really have any option but to begin at one end and taper off to the other. Bread, however, is a different matter, and starting in the middle makes it easier to keep the weave of the braid consistent from end to end.
3. Tuck the ends.
The ends should be a bit thinner than the middle when you finish the braid, so tuck the ends under the loaf to help you plump them to create a lovely, even loaf.
Need a nutritious recipe to get started? Try Secret Weapon Bread Dough (1 Guiding Star).