Sweet Puff Bread

Oh my God! Who can resist the buttery sweetness and flakiness of this puff bread? There’s something about the smell of this freshly baked bread and its wonderful flavor that brings joy to the atmosphere in the home. Don’t think it’s complicated, in fact this recipe is ridiculously easy, extremely flexible, using basic pantry staples, even if you’re brand new to baking at home. So delight your kids and family with this scrumptious puff bread for breakfast – knowing that it gives them a healthy start to their day.

Ingredient list for the sweet puff bread

Preparation: 2 hours
Cooking time: 25 min
Makes 8 individual crackers or 3 beautiful braided breads

• 4 1/2 cups (450g) all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup (60g) sugar
• 1 big cup (260ml) of milk
• 2/3 cup (150g) butter at room temperature + 1 tablespoon (15g)

For the glazing:

• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 1/5 cup (50mL) water

Directions

1. Dissolve active-dry yeast in a cup with a pinch of sugar and a little warm milk. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine salt, flour, sugar, 1 tablespoon (15g) diced butter and yeast. Add the warm milk. Knead until the dough doesn’t stick on the bowl. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
3. Roll out the dough to form a large rectangle over a lightly floured surface. Place the 2/3 cup (150g) butter (cut in sticks) on the center and fold the 2 sides of dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Flatten the dough, and fold again in 3, perpendicularly from the first folding (follow the puff pastry tutorial here). Refrigerate for 15 min. Repeat this process 3 times more, always rotating 90° at each step (this ensures even layers of butter).
5. Roll out the dough into a square, trim the edges to 1/4-inch for clean cuts. Then cut 9 strips same width. I used a pizza cutter, it’s just perfect for this.
6. Squeeze the ends of 3 strips together to weld them. Braid the strips together. Repeat for the 2 remaining breads. You’ll end up with beautiful braided breads ready to bake.
7. Place all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1-1 h30 in a warm place free from drafts.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 370°F (190°C – gas mark 6-7) for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. The glazing: During baking, dissolve 1/4 cup (50g) sugar with 1/5 cup (50mL)  water, place in the microwave for 1 minute or heat in a saucepan, you’ll obtain a syrup. Brush the braids right out of the oven with syrup and allow to cool. Enjoy! (Photos by S. Ait-Ali)