Yoghurt and Caraway Plait Recipe

Yoghurt and Caraway Plait Recipe

450 g/1 lb/4 cups strong plain (bread) flour
5 ml/1 tsp salt
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine

10 ml/2 tsp easy-blend dried yeast

1 large egg, beaten
150 ml milk
5 ml/1 tsp clear honey
45 ml/3 tbsp plain yoghurt
5 ml/1 tsp water
15 ml/1 tbsp caraway seeds

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter and stir in the yeast. Reserve a teaspoonful of the beaten egg and add the remainder to the flour. Warm the milk with the honey and yoghurt and add to the flour. Mix to form a soft but not stick dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for several minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled plastic bag and put in a warm place for about 45 minutes until doubled in bulk.

Re-knead and cut into three equal pieces. Roll out each piece to a sausage about 30 cm/12 in long. Put side-by-side on the work surface and pinch the three together at one end. Plait them together by passing the right strand over the middle one, then the left one over the new middle one. Continue to the end and pinch the ends together. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Beat the water with the reserved egg and brush over the surface. Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and leave in the warm for about 20 minutes until well risen again. Bake in a preheated oven at 190^oC/375^oF/gas mark 5 for about 30–35 minutes until golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.