Start your day with this Hefezopf! A sweet German Braided Bread that is easy to make and is super fluffy.
You might know it as an Easter dish and sometimes known as Osterzopf (Easter braid). But in Germany, we eat it throughout the year. This will make a sweet, light, and fluffy sweet yeast bread that children will love as much as adults.
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What is a Hefezopf?
A Hefezopf is a braided sweet bread, common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The dough is made from sugar, flour, butter eggs and yeast. The name is from two German words: “hefe” means yeast and “zopf” means braid.
In Bavaria and Austria, this bread is called “Striezel”. In Switzerland, it is often called “Zopfbrot” (braided bread).
Recipe for Hefezopf
- 1 egg (medium size)
- 7 g instant yeast (1 packet or 2 tsp)
- 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz milk (3.5 % fat and lukewarm)
- 500 g / 17.6 oz flour (Germany type 550, UK bread flour, US all-purpose flour)
- 60 g / 2.1 oz sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 80 g / 2.8 oz butter (softened at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoon almond slices
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture and set it aside in a separate bowl.
- Add the yeast to the lukewarm milk. Leave for the yeast to activate (approx. 10 min). You should see some small bubbles forming on the surface.
- Now mix together the remaining egg, yeast-milk mixture, flour, butter, sugar and salt. Knead with a dough hook, using either a hand or stand mixer for 5 minutes. Leave the dough to rest for further 5 minutes. Then knead the dough again for another 5 minutes. (The total kneading time should be 10 minutes in total).
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hour. Temperature
- After this time the dough should have roughly doubled in size. Remove from the bowl and knead on a floured surface (or a non-stick baking mat) for about 5 minutes by hand.
- Divide the dough into three balls. Weigh the balls to make sure they are equal in size. (mine were about 260 g/ 9 oz each).
- Now form them into 3 rolls of equal length. They should be around 40 cm/16 inches long.
- Form the rolls into a braid and place the bread on an oven tray lined with baking parchment.
- Cover the braid with a tea towel and leave the rise for a further 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°F.
- Using a pastry brush (affiliate link) cover the Hefezopf with the remaining whisked egg. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Leave to cool before serving.
How to braid bread?
Can I prepare this braided sweet bread in advance?
Hefezopf tastes best when served fresh out of the oven. However, the most important step in this recipe is to give the dough enough time to rest. You can also leave the dough to rise in the fridge overnight. This can be done for the first or second rise. Just make sure that you place the dough in a container that gives the dough enough space to expand.
It is important that you give the dough enough time to get back to room temperature before baking. So best to take it out of the fridge an hour or two before you are planning to bake it. Otherwise, it will still work but will not end up being as fluffy.
Alternatively, you can bake in the evening before. Place it in a plastic bag, store it at room temperature, and serve with some butter and jam. You will find it tastes yummy up to three days after it is baked.
How to serve
I like eating this sweet yeast bread fresh out of the oven. The next day I prefer to eat it with some jam, chocolate spread or butter.
Regional Customs
Hefezopf is often baked for special occasions like New Year, Easter or baptisms, but nowadays it is eaten as a tasty breakfast treat.
The German braided bread often has religious significance: the three strands of the braid are supposed to represent the holy trinity.
In some parts of Austria and Bavaria, a loaf of sweet braided bread is gifted to celebrate All Souls Day.” This custom originates from an old mourning tradition in which a person would cut off braided hair to express grief. [source: Wikipedia: Allerheiligenstriezel]
The Hefezopf is best known as a Traditional Easter Bread (read more about this on my German Easter Bread). At Easter, the Hefezopf is referred to as “Osterzopf”.
We also gift a braided bread as a good luck present on New Year's Day. Some families in Germany start their new year with this bread. In the Rhine area, the yeast bread is formed as a New Year's Pretzel and served either at midnight or for for the first breakfast of the yar.
In Bohemia, the Hefezopf is a Christmas bread called Vánočka. It is traditionally eaten during Advent. [source Wikipedia.de Hefezopf]
More German Easter Recipes
Have you made this recipe?
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Recipe
Hefezopf – Braided sweet bread (+video)
Ingredients
- 1 egg medium, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast 7g, 1 sachet
- 250 ml milk 1 cup, lukewarm
- 500 g all purpose flour 4 cups, (Germany type 550, UK bread flour, US all purpose flour)
- 60 g granulated sugar ¼ cup, 2.1 oz
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 80 g butter ⅓ cup, 2.8 oz
To decorate
- 3 tablespoon almond slices optional
Instructions
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture and set aside in a separate bowl.1 egg
- Add the yeast to the lukewarm milk. Leave for the yeast to activate (approximately 10 minutes). You should see some small bubbles forming on the surface.2 teaspoon instant yeast, 250 ml milk
- Mix together the remaining egg, yeast-milk mixture, flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Knead with a dough hook using a hand or stand mixer for 5 minutes. Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes, then knead again for another 5 minutes. (Total kneading time: 10 minutes).500 g all purpose flour, 60 g granulated sugar, 80 g butter, 1 teaspoon salt
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hour.
- After this time, the dough should have roughly doubled in size. Remove from the bowl and knead on a floured surface (or a non-stick baking mat) for about 5 minutes by hand.
- Divide the dough into three equal balls. Weigh the balls to ensure they are of equal size (about 260 g / 9 oz each).
- Roll each ball into a rope of equal length, approximately 40 cm (16 inches) long.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. This prevents you from having to move the bread after braiding. Place the dough ropes on the parchment paper and braid them into a plait. (See post for illustration).
- Cover the braid with a tea towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Using a pastry brush (affiliate link) cover the Hefezopf with the remaining whisked egg. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.3 tablespoon almond slices
- Leave to cool before serving.
Video
Notes
Prepare in advance.
Hefezopf tastes best when served fresh out of the oven. However, the most important step in this recipe is to give the dough enough time to rest. You can also leave the dough to rise in the fridge overnight. This can be done for the first or second rise. Just make sure that you place the dough in a container that gives the dough enough space to expand. It is important that you give the dough enough time to get back to room temperature before baking. So best to take it out of the fridge an hour or two before you are planning to bake it. Alternatively, you can bake in the evening before. Place it in a plastic bag, store it at room temperature and serve with some butter and jam. You will find it tastes yummy up to three days after it is baked.Baking with Yeast: Steps for Sucess
Baking with yeast is not rocket science. Here are my best tips to ensure that your yeast dough rises every time.- Use lukewarm milk. The microorganism in the yeast will activate through heat and sugar. The ideal temperature of the milk should be around 30-35°C / 86-95 °F. If the temperature rises above 45°C/113°F, the cells will die and your dough will not rise.
- Make sure your yeast is in-date. Using out of date yeast is a common reason for the dough not rising.
- 35°C/95 °F is the perfect temperature for the dough to rise. The temperature should not get hotter than 40 °C/104°F. If your kitchen is cooler, then preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Turn the oven off and place the dough in the oven. Cover it with a moist tea towel so it does not dry out. (If your lowest setting is hotter than 40 like mine 50, leave the door open for a couple of minutes before placing the dough in)
- Knead the dough thoroughly - To ensure that the bread becomes light and fluffy you need to knead it for a long time. A well-kneaded dough hardly sticks. After the dough rises it is important to knead it again, as during the rising process gas bubbles form. This will ensure that your bread bakes evenly.
Theresa Crowe says
I have yet to make this. I am not poo-pooing anything here. I am just grumbling. I have never heard of a baking recipe that uses medium eggs. I have only ever used large eggs in recipes because that is what the recipes call for. How would this be adjusted for large egg use?
Marita Sinden says
Hi Theresa, thanks for your comment. I never had this question before but I think I found a solution. In Europe a Medium Egg weights about 53-63 g - so between 1,8 and 2.3 oz. So you could weigh your large egg and then adjust it those measurements- and discard the rest or make an omplette with it? But I think the best is to just try it with a large egg ( I have not tested it), the dough might be a bit wetter but it should still come out ok! Just take 2 tbsp instead of one for coating the bread. If you try it let me know how it works out.
Patricia Manley says
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I made this Hefezopf for Easter and my family absolutely LOVED it!!! The flavor is amazing and it’s super easy to make. I already saved it in my faves and will be making it again real soon.
Victoria says
Hi, Marita, from Michigan! I am not the techy person so forgive me that I goofed up my review earlier. When I saw this recipe I knew it would be delicious. You explained everything perfectly and each step went exactly as you wrote. It turned out perfectly and delicious. We enjoyed it yesterday with just butter as well as plain, and this morning will enjoy it with jam and our coffee. Thank you for such a delicious, easy to follow recipe! Love all your recipes.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Vicky! Thanks so much! I am glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the great picture you posted!
Barbara.Siebeneick says
An you add raisins or candied fruit? How much?
Marita says
Hi Barbara, about 60 gr so 2 oz should be a good amount. I will also update the post. Thanks for your question.
Honey says
Did you use a fan oven?
Marita says
Hi Honey, thanks for your question. Yes you can use the fan setting in your oven. Thanks Marita
Gina Edwards says
I tried this recipe for Three Kings Day. I double the recipe and made one loaf plain and one with cinnamon and sugar added to the middle of each braid. The only changes I made was I added some German Vanilla powder to the flour and a 1/4 t of Lemon extract. I felt it could use a bit more sugar, but I have a sweet tooth. I think next time after I braid it I will let it rise a bit longer I definitely need to work on my braiding skills My sister and I enjoyed it.
Marita says
Hi Gina,
thank you for your feedback. It is not supposed to be an overly sweet bread as you tend to eat it with jam anyway. Of course, you can adjust it to your taste. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Marita
Jane says
I would like to make this recipe, but wanted to prepare it ahead of time. When you say it can rise overnight in the fridge, would that be for the first or second rise? Thank you
Marita says
Hi Jane, the second rise can be done in the fridge. However, it is important to allow the dough to get to room temperature before baking it.
So take it out of the fridge about 1-2 hours before you are planning to make it.
Malou says
Super sweet bread recipe and so easy to make. So delicious. It’s really wicked because I kept going back to get another slice. It was gone really quickly. Need to make another for Good Friday. Very interesting history notes. Thanks Marita
Marita says
Hi Malou! Thanks so much for your comment. It makes me so happy when a recipe are enjoyed as intended. I wish you a happy Easter x
Nelson says
I didn’t have a stand mixer and just kneaded for double/triple the time listed on the recipe, the bread turned out absolutely delicious! My husband and I actually polished it off in less than 24 hours
😂 I’m already looking forward to the next time I make this recipe!
Marita says
Hi Nelson,
Thanks for your kind comments about this recipe. We love it as well and it is super tasty. Best Wishes Marita
Ina Van Vuuren says
THANK YOU FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Marita says
You are welcome! Best Wishes back to South Africa!
Karen S Booth says
Gorgeous! I remember eating this when I lived in Germany and I love it, such a wonderful soft, buttery crumb. Thanks for linking up to Cook Blog Share Week 12! Karen
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
I love the little history and meaning behind the Hefezopf. Plus, it looks so beautiful when baked. We might know that Romanians eat bread with everything, but seldom sweet bread (whatever is sweet, we call it cake! haha). I’ll change this tradition with your recipe and have it with jam:)))
Colette says
This is the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever seen. It’s so simple but delicious 🤤
Fabiana says
When I go abroad I love this type of bread, I was just looking for an excellent recipe to try to make it by myself. Yours seems perfect and delicious to me and I love you add step by step braid direction. Thanks for sharing this
Zen says
Looks awesome! Never tried braiding bread but must give it a go!