Applesauce yeast plait

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 100 g applesauce
• 5 g salt
• 250 ml milk, lukewarm
• 21 g yeast, fresh

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 20 minutes

without butter, sugar and egg

Personally, I never make a pre-dough at the beginning, as my bread always turns out wonderfully without it and I therefore don’t need it. But if you want to make one, you can do it the way you know how. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes, either with a mixer or by hand, the main thing is to knead long enough until you have a smooth dough. (You should knead the yeast dough for a long time so that the gluten in the flour can loosen and bind it properly.) Now cover the dough and let it rest in a warm place for at least 1-2 hours until it has increased in volume considerably, although this can sometimes take longer. (Of course, you can also have all of this done in a bread maker.) After it has rested or risen, beat the yeast dough again vigorously and knead well. (It shouldn’t stick anymore, but if it does, knead in a little flour OR simply put the dough into a dish, then you don’t need to add any more flour.) Now divide the dough into 3 parts and roll them into equal length strands, which should not be too thin. Braid these into a tight plait. Place the plait on a well-greased baking tray or one lined with baking paper, cover and let rise for another 30 minutes, until the dough has visibly increased in volume. Now bake the plait in a preheated oven at 180°C top/bottom heat or 165°C fan-assisted for a good 30 minutes. Every oven heats differently, so it may take a little longer, but please don’t let it get too dark, otherwise the plait will be too dry. The plait will be very light and fluffy and will keep for a long time. If you like, you can also add raisins to the dough. It tastes particularly good with spelt or wholemeal wheat flour, but you should use more liquid.