Whenever I’ve made challah or other braided loaves of bread, I haven’t posted a recipe because I find it very difficult to describe the simple technique of proper braiding. It’s not like braiding hair. And it’s nearly impossible for me to describe how to use the thumbs in shaping dough professionally.
Technology to the rescue. This video lesson, no narration, runs almost seven minutes and will show you how to braid loaves with 3, 4, 5 and 6 strands. Notice how the baker weighs the dough for each strand so they’re equal, how he cups them into balls first and how he uses his thumbs when initially shaping the dough, at approximately 6:15 remaining. That’s a technique to use for baguettes, batards, any loaves that are long and/or oval-shaped. Also note his use of the bench knife on the ends of the five and six-strand loaves and how he tests for doneness by tapping.
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Okay, I clicked on the comment and I see the trackback URI (why it’s called I instead of L I don’ts get yet) and then what?
Hi, rhbee – I answered you in the support forum. Hang in there, it’ll all come together for you! What you see in Comment #1 is that actual pingback.