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Braided Sweet Sourdough Butter and Egg Bread Recipe

This Braided Sweet Sourdough Butter and Egg Bread recipe is so pretty in braid form with a glossy golden brown from the egg wash. It goes perfectly with dinner, or for little finger sandwiches, or the dough can be used as a base for other sweet rolls recipes like Sourdough cinnamon rolls or other filled breads. It really is a scrumptious bread with a soft crumb!
Print Recipe
Sweet Sourdough Butter and Egg Bread on cutting board
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Rise Time:6 hours
Total Time:6 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Stiff Starter made the night before

  • 50 grams Sourdough Starter
  • 60 grams Water
  • 120 grams Flour
  • 24 grams Sugar
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • All of stiff starter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 3/4- 3 cups of all purpose flour
  • egg wash - 1 egg 1 T water

Instructions

Make stiff starter the night before.

  • Feed 50 grams of starter 60 grams of water, 120 grams of flour, and 24 grams of sugar.

Instructions for making the bread the next day

  • The next morning your stiff starter will have doubled. It is ready when you see lots of bubbles all around and under the jar and it has double.
  • Scald milk over stove top or microwave.
  • Slice butter and place in heated milk along with the sugar. Stir until butter is melted.
  • Pour milk, melted butter, and white sugar into bowl of your stand mixer. Once your milk mixture has cooled to to below 110 degrees (or is comfortable to your finger), add all of your stiff starter and blend with dough hook to incorporate starter into warm liquid. 
  • Add egg, salt, and flour 1 cup at a time, with the mixer on low speed, until dough pulls away from bowl and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, that will be about 2 3/4 cups.
  • Knead in a stand mixer on medium speed (or turn out on a clean surface if kneading by hand) for 5 minutes until soft and elastic.
  • Form dough into a ball and place dough in a greased large mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise until double in a warm place for about 4-8 hours.
  • After the first rise, turn out onto your work surface and let dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into three equal pieces and roll into about 14 inch logs. Place on a baking sheet prepared with a piece of parchment paper or silicone mat and form into a braid. Cover and let rise again for about 2-3 hours.
  • When the braid has doubled in size, brush with egg wash and bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Substitutions
Sugar: You can substitute honey or any sweetener of choice
All-purpose flour: You can substitute with bread flour, but you may need to add more water. The bread may end up being a bit less fluffy and more chewy. You can also use wheat flour, but only substitute half of the flour for wheat and the rest all purpose flour.