Zopf Bread Recipe

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This recipe makes a perfect Swiss Zopf. After many trials, I found the best proportion of ingredients to use, and the best kneading time to produce the perfect soft, buttery loaf. Using only 7 ingredients, this Switzerland base dishes recipe is easy to follow and sure to become your new favorite sandwich bread. Follow the kneading and baking time closely and refer to the How to Braid Zopf Bread section to learn how to braid bread using the traditional method. 

Fresh Slices of Zopf bread on a plate

What Is Zopf

Zopf, meaning “bread” in German, is a type of Swiss bread of Bernese origin that is famously known as “Swiss Sunday bread”. This braided milk bread, generally made from enriched dough that typically include bread flour, milk, egg, yeast, sugar, butter, salt and sometimes topped with sesame seeds or pearl sugar, results in a soft, buttery texture with a brown, fairly dark crust.

Fresh Zopf bread on black colling rack

Where does the shape come from? According to a French culinary heritage inventory that attests to the culinary traditions of Alsace, its braided shape is associated with the traditional hairstyle of Alsatian women. Where they say, in ancient times, it was customary for a wife to follow her husband to the grave when he died. This tradition was later replaced by the sacrifice of a braid of hair, followed by a braided loaf of bread.

Ingredients You’ll Need

First and foremost, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you start making your dough. This helps you mix everything smoothly and ensure the consistency of the dough. Here’s a list of the ingredient you’ll need:

Zopf bread dough ingredients: Milk, egg, flour, sugar, salt, yeast and butter
  • Milk: Whole milk is the ideal choice for a richer bread, but you can also use low-fat milk. Avoid using skimmed milk in this recipe. 
  • Egg: Although it is not an essential ingredient in Zopf’s dough. Eggs add richness and moisture to the dough, making it softer and more tender. You need a whole egg for the dough and an egg yolk for brushing.
  • Flour: Bread flour provides structure and a well-developed dough. Aim for a flour that contains +10% of protein.
  • Yeast: Makes the bread rise properly.
  • Salt: Flavor.
  • butter: Unsalted Butter imparts a creamy flavor and gives the bread its golden color. 

Are you a Beginner in Enriched Dough?

This article is about mastering the science of enriched dough. It is a wonderful starting point for enriched dough beginners. Where you can find how to knead enriched dough, tips for getting a perfect dough every time, and famous examples of enriched bread to try for yourself

Overview: How to Make the Dough

After you’ve weighed and assembled the ingredients: 

Milk and egg topped with flour, yeast, sugar and salt

Pour the milk, then the egg, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a spatula with a mixing bowl. Combine all the ingredients until the dough forms. 

This is the consistency of the dough after this step:

Mixed Zopf bread dough in a stand mixer bowl

Increase the mixing speed and knead the dough for 6-7 minutes or until it is smooth and the gluten well-developed. The windowpane test is helpful to make sure you finish this step. Reduce the mixer speed, add the butter cubes and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic but does not stick to the fingers. 

If you are not using a stand mixer, the kneading process will change slightly at this stage. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface, add the butter cubes and knead the dough for 10 minutes until you’re sure all the butter is incorporated and the dough has become smooth and elastic. Keep in mind that the time may take a little longer if you’re not kneading quickly, so achieving the right consistency of the dough is more important than timing. 

Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl.

On the right: The right consistency of the dough after finishing the kneading process

On the left: how to put the butter over the dough. On the right: The right consistency of the dough

In Pictures: How To Braid Zopf Bread?

  1. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, then roll out each piece of the dough into 30-inch (75cm) strands and make sure to slightly pinch the ends.  
  2. Take a strand and place it on the top of the other strand to form a cross. The two strands should meet in the middle and the vertical strand should be at the top. 
  3. Grab the ends of the horizontal strand and braid it over the vertical one: make sure that the left strand passes over the right strand. 
  4. Now, grab the ends of the vertical strand and braid it over the vertical stands, make sure that the left stand passes over the right one. 
  5. Repeat until all the loaf is braided. Pinch the ends together.

These step-by-step pictures:

how to braid zopf
How To Braid Zopf 1
How To Braid Zopf 2

FAQs

How to store this Swiss Sunday Zopf?

Swiss braided bread is best enjoyed fresh, but you can still store it in a bread bowl at room temperature for up to 2-3 days

Is Zopf the same as French Brioche?

Actually, both breads share the same ingredients. Making Zopf is easier due its less richness with sweetness, dairy and fats than brioche. Moreover, brioche must rest overnight in the refrigerator to develop a rich flavor and then be shaped and baked the next day, while Zopf is shaped and baked on the same day of kneading.

Is Zopf the same as Jewish Challah?

Although they share the same braided shape, Zopf and Challah are made with different ingredients. Zopf is often rich in butter, milk, and a small amount of eggs, while challah is usually made with water and does not contain butter and has a high egg content. 

A close-up of a Zopf slice
Fresh Slices of Zopf bread on a plate

Swiss Zopf Bread Recipe

38b43704bb9925532f675b1f26c5265cHafedh Garfa
This recipe makes a perfect Swiss Zopf. After many trials, I found the best proportion of ingredients to use, and the best kneading time to produce the perfect soft, buttery loaf. Using only 7 ingredients, this Switzerland base dishes recipe is easy to follow and sure to become your new favorite sandwich bread. Follow the kneading and baking time closely and refer to the How to Braid Zopf Bread section above to learn how to braid bread using the traditional method.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Bake Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Sweet Bread
Cuisine German, Swiss
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1 and 1/8 cups (280ml) milk, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 3 and 1/2 cups (530 grams) bread flour
  • 2 and 1/4 tablespoons (7 grams) instant dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoon (30 grams) white granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt
  • ½ cup (100 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
  • For washing: 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions
 

  • Make the dough: Add milk, egg, flour, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough forms (You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated.) If you don't have a stand mixer, place the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden or silicone spatula. *The dough is firm at the end of this step.*
  • Knead the dough: Set the mixer on medium speed and knead the dough for 6 minutes until the dough smooths and the gluten network is well developed. If you are making the dough by hand, transfer onto a lightly floured surface, add the butter at this time. Knead for 10 minutes or until the butter is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low again. Add the butter cubes and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until the butter is well incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic but does not stick to the fingers. (A bowl scraper is useful for scraping off butter stuck to the bowl.)
  • Autolyse: Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (If you don't know what Autolyse is: It's a baker's technique that allows flour to fully hydrate to enhance the texture and taste of the dough.)
  • line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Braid the Bread: Divide the dough into two equal pieces. (Use a kitchen scale to measure accurately.) In my case, the total weight of the dough is 33 ounces (940 grams), giving a weight of 16.5 ounces (470 grams) for each piece. Roll each piece into 30-inch (75cm) strands and slightly pinch the ends.
  • Take a strand and place it on the top of the other to form a cross, The vertical strand should be at the top. Grab the ends of the horizontal strand and braid it over the vertical strand so that the left strand passes over the right. Then grab the ends of the vertical strand and braid it over the horizontal strand So that the thread passes from the bottom over the top. Repeat until all the loaf is braided. Pinch the ends together. Place in the prepared baking sheet.
  • 1st wash: Beat 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoon milk and brush over the braided dough with a pastry brush. Set the egg mixture aside for the 2nd egg wash.
  • Rise: Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise in a warm environment for 60-75 minutes or until double in size and it puffs up.
  • Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
  • 2nd wash: Brush the remaining egg mixture over the top of the raised braided bread.
  • Bake: Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top. If it's browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper after 15 minutes. *It is best to bake enriched bread at the bottom of the oven*
  • Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Notes

Flour: Using a flour with a high protein content is necessary when making enriched dough, so bread flour is the best option. However, you can still use all-purpose flour if it has a high protein content,  ideally 11%.
Baking tools (affiliate links): A Stand mixer, steel or glass mixing bowls with a wooden or silicone spatula to make the dough. However, even if you are going to use an stand mixer, you will still need a mixing bowl | I recommend using a Kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients instead of measuring them in cups |Bench Scraper and Bowl scraper | Baking sheet | Pastry brush.
The temperature when I make this recipe: 57 Fahrenheit (12 Celsius).

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