Braided Garlic Bread for #Breadbakers | Easy Braided recipes

Sometimes, its a lack of motivation that keeps me from doing thing I have wanted to do. Before baking breads at home, it was easy to buy loaves from outside and make sandwiches (hey ! we still do that :-)) . But taming the yeast took me long enough - from brick hard breads to under baked to over burnt, it has been a long journey. (and am still learning with each bake !)

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Being part of #Breadbakers group has been a blessing to look at yeasted breads in a totally new light way - although breads (other than flatbreads/ stuffed breads with wholewheat) isnt our staple diet, the challenges so far has been a wonderful journey to learn new methods with unfamiliar ingredients ,  ogling at a few masterpiece creations, and learning a little more about sourdough breads, crumb and crust textures.

I still struggle with the basic loaf bread (perhaps I haven't challenged myself enough), but our host Gayatri (a baker and a close friend is someone I have admired for over 4 years now - we have met twice as part of another group !) has asked us to make braided breads for June. Trust me, I just hopped into the challenge, and even typed my yet-to-be-baked bread as my entry. And then the jitters started.

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And then I HAD to do it - there was no way I couldn't back out from a challenge I had entered into 🙂 Thanks to the push, here's my basic bread dough transformed into a beautiful garlic braided bread - yes the finish could be better, but am glad I could make it. Garlic is one of our most preferred flavours in bakes - as is evident in roasted garlic focaccia , Cheese garlic bombs (both incidentally baked for Breadbakers) & Coriander Garlic Pull apart rolls.

It was easier than shaping the perfect loaf, so I shall definitely be making more braided breads - it makes for such an elegant centrepiece at the table. The girls devoured it one early Sunday morning, and the next time I shall serve it with some soup.

For now, this is a beautiful bread and thanks to #breadbakers, I have one more to-do bake ticked off my list 🙂

Prep time : 20 min, Rise time : 1 hour + 45 mins ; Bake time : 22 mins.

Ingredients:

• Basic pizza dough or a basic bread dough  - 1 portion (about 350 gms)
• Garlic pods - 8 to 10 - crushed
• Olive oil - 1 TBSP
• Salt and chilli flakes - 1 tsp

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How to make:

1. I used a frozen portion of my bread dough, Thaw the frozen dough to room temperature.
2. But if you want to make a fresh batch, please do so. If using fresh dough, let it proof once till doubled. Once done, punch down a bit & proceed to the next step.
3. Heat the oil a bit and immediately add the crushed garlic. Switch off. Add a dash of chilli flakes and salt and let the flavours seep into the oil.
4. Knead once on a lightly floured surface.
5. Cut out three equal portions of the dough.
6. Pre heat oven to 375 F / 190 C.  Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
7. Roll the portions of the dough into thick ropes.
8. Place the ropes held together at the top on the baking pan directly.
9. Braid the bread as shown in the pictures.
10. lightly brush the bread with the flavoured oil.
11. Cover and let it rise again for about 45 mins till slightly plump
12. Towards the end of the second rise, preheat oven.
13. Once again, brush the braided bread with the entire oil and the garlic flakes. Sprinkle any seasoning if you wish {P.S - I was away from home during the 2nd rise, but my garlic-loving elder girl helped me dribble more than a generous portion of garlic and helped it rise in the oven, next time around, I am going to train her how to pre-heat and even bake this !! :p }
14. Bake for 20-22 mins (I baked for 22 mins + broiled for 3 mins)
15. Let it cool a bit and slowly cut into pieces and serve.

This month's Bread Baker's theme is Braided Breads and is hosted by Gayathri Kumar of Gayathri's Cook Spot Here is the collection of all the beautiful braided breads from our team.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

• Almond Braided Brioche by Palatable Pastime
• Artisan Herb Bread Braid by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Basic Challah Bread by Cook's Hideout
• Braided Bread with Candied Papaya Chunks by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Braided Garlic Bread by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Braided Herbed Breadsticks by Ambrosia
• Braided Rum & Raisin Buns by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Challah Bread by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Cherry Cheese Braid by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chicken Cheese Braided Bread by Sneha’s Recipe
• Nutella Braided Bread by Veena’s Vegnation
• Olive Oil Challah by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Orange Saffron Braided Brioche by Food Lust People Love
• Scali Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spice and Herb French Braid by The Schizo Chef
• Sweet Braid Stuffed with Cream Cheese by Basic N Delicious
• Two-Seed Potato Challah by What Smells So Good?
• Whole Wheat Challah Bread by Spill the Spices
• Whole Wheat Pizza Braid by Herbivore Cucina
• Whole Wheat Zopf Bread by I camp in my Kitchen
• Winston Knot Bread by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Zucchini Yeast Bread by Baking Sense

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