Braided milk bread: Simple daily bread

Another recipe for making fresh and delicious bread that you can make by yourself ^^.  

I know that for some people, baking bread seem complicated, kneading and raising, it's not the same as baking cupcake. But if you find one recipe that you can conquer, I know that you will try it again and again. I think making bread by ourself gives a sense of luxury (even you need to do so much work before getting the result, hehe) sweet smell of the bread from the oven, lovely crust and the taste of freshly baked bread, if I can make you feel all of them I really want to ^^. Sitting down and smell the bread is one of my favorite moment. Anyway all I can is giving you the recipe and hope that you will try it and enjoy it too. 
This time is a simple Braided milk bread, soft and lightly sweet bread that you can make it as daily bread. It's not hard to make (and it's lovely ^^), I really love to have it with jam and butter.

Braided milk bread 

Makes 2 loaves 

250g ............................... All purpose flour
250g ............................... Bread flour
8g ................................... Instant yeast
50g ................................. Granulated sugar
280g ............................... Whole milk
2tsp ................................. Fine sea salt
1 ....................................... Egg
50g .................................. Unsalted butter

Egg wash
1......................................... Egg
1tbsp ................................ Water

 Put both of the flour, the sugar and yeast in a bowl, whisk to combine, add salt whisk again. Mix the egg and milk together, then pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl.
Use large spoon (or pastry scraper) to mix everything together, and knead briefly to bring all the ingredients together.
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead, you will see the dough will be elastic after about 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead by using the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a little turn and repeat. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm. Keep folding over and compressing the dough.

 Knead for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is soft, pliable, smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny. Put the dough into a light buttered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size (can be 1 hour or 1 hour and a half check often depend on the temperature).

When the dough is ready, divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Press the dough and roll into an oval shape.

Roll each piece into 12-inch-long rope.  Braid 3 of them together, pinching ends to seal, repeat with the rest, you will get 2 loaves.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Let the dough rise in warm place until almost double in size, about 1 hour.
Beat egg and water together to make egg wash.
Brush loaves with egg wash.
Put the dough in the oven and bake at  200°C for 10 minutes, decrease the temperature to 180°C and bake for 25-30 minutes more, or until the bread is golden brown. Place baking sheet on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Braided milk bread: Simple daily bread