This rich, braided yeast bread turns any table into a festive celebration! The simple homemade perfection of this shareable masterpiece brings good cheer with good ingredients. Gift it to new neighbors or impress at your next potluck.
Place warm water and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the mixture and let sit for 5 minutes while the yeast activates.
Add 1 egg, flours and salt to the yeast mixture and mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and begin kneading, piecing in chunks of the soft butter every few minutes. Once all the butter is added, knead for about 8 minutes or until you can stretch a small portion of the dough into a thin membrane (this is called the “windowpane test”).
If you are using an electric mixer, piece in chunks of the soft butter then knead for 4 minutes on medium speed with the dough hook attachment.
Place dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place dough on a lightly floured counter and divide into four equal pieces. Roll each piece out into an 18-inch rope. Pinch 4 ropes together at the top, placing the pinched end furthest away for you. Imagine the ropes are numbered 1–4, 1 being the left-most rope. Pick up rope 1 and cross it under rope 3 and over rope 4, all the way to the right. Repeat this step until you reach the end of the braid, always crossing the left-most rope under the 3rd rope and over the 4th. Pinch the ends together and tuck underneath slightly.
Place loaf on the prepared baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 15 minutes or until the dough crowns nicely above the pan and gives with a gentle press of the fingers, leaving a faint indentation.
Whisk together remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush over the loaf and top with sesame seeds. Bake for 40 minutes until golden-brown and hollow sounding when tapped. The internal temperature should be between 180–200°F. Cool on a wire rack.
