SWISS BRAID

Traditional recipes often lead back to history and the golden-colored yeast bread from Central Europe named Zopf ('braid') or Züpfe is just another example. In fact, the recipe originates from the Swiss Alps where a braid of dough with added milk, butter and eggs has been a favorite holiday treat since the 15th century. German variations of the Swiss braid with extra sugar are called Hefezopf, if the loaf is only braided, and Hefekranz, if the braid is shaped into a wreath. They can be filled with almonds or raisins and topped with granulated sugar. Other types of the German variation are filled with chocolate or poppyseed. Swedish holiday breads, except the saffron-flavored Lussekatter, can also be shaped into braided loaves or wreaths.

According to folklore experts, the braided shape of Zopf dates back to the Middle Ages when the Germanic peoples used to sacrifice the wife and bury her along with the dead husband. In truth, archaeological evidence proves that it was generally a less important female, probably a slave, who followed the master to his grave. Whichever happened, after the Christian faith prevailed in northern Europe, this kind of sacrifice was gradually abandoned. Instead of the wife's body, the dead husband was offered a braided lock of hers, along with other valuables of less symbolic meaning he was believed to need in afterlife. With time, and even before this second custom fell into decline, a braided loaf replaced the braided hair. And since most people of Germanic origin were fair, the golden sheen of Zopf (that was brushed with egg wash before baking) reminded of the wife's locks.

In Switzerland, Austria & Germany, shaping the dough for Zopf or Hefezopf, which is typically eaten for breakfast, is really very important. The more skilled the baker the more elaborate the shape of this otherwise plain but very tasty yeast bread. Instead of dividing into three strands, traditional Swiss braid recipes use no less than five -and for the crumb to have a fibrous texture (which is a must in every yeast bread), each piece of dough is pulled several times before it's plaited with the others. Another trick for optimal expansion of the dough is to partly use spelt flour, which is very rich in gluten.

Although Zopf was originally made in Bern on St. Thomas' as well as New Year's Day, the Swiss bakers eventually obtained permission to make braided loaf throughout the year. In some parts of Germany, godmothers offer this kind of bread to godchildren, along with their blessings, while elsewhere Hefezopf is made on All Saints' Day. For the Germanic custom of sacrificing women, hair and baked goods for the salvation of the dead was gradually replaced with the Christian practice of almsgiving. That Zopf was also popular in Swabia during the Late Middle Ages is expected because this German region is very close to Switzerland. But not only for this.

 

Bundesbrief established the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1291

 

During the 14th and 15th centuries, when German bakers developed (or borrowed) the recipe for making Zopf, some of the free Imperial cities were envious of their neighbours and openly discussed the possibility of 'turning Swiss' themselves. In other words, they planned to join forces against the Holy Roman emperor and gain their independence, like the Swiss cantons of the Alps had done by rebelling in 1215. For better or for worse, this dream was never realized -partly due to the efforts of the Swabian League, a defensive coalition of traditionalists originally formed in the 1330s, and partly due to the reaction of Charles V, who made sure that all of Germany remained under his influence. Even though princes, bishops and town councils were finally allowed to choose their own doctrine, Calvinism (the Swiss variant of Luther's revolution) did not prevail in the German south after the 1555 Peace of Augsburg. The exchange of culinary traditions between neighboring regions was not discouraged, either. And how could it when all of Central Europe was inhabited by German-speaking people, including not just the Swiss Confederacy and the German states but also the eastern half of Maximilian I's inheritance, which finally became the Austro-Hungarian empire.

 

unsweetened Swiss braid (Zopf)

German-style Hefezopf, with 1/3 spelt flour

 

SWISS BRAID

Although traditional Zopf recipes use milk, it's possible to replace all or part of it with sour cream, which gives the bread a very light texture. In the Hefezopf variation, I used wholegrain spelt flour because it was the only type available. Even though the crumb is slightly darker, its texture was not affected in the least. Swiss bakers, however, would opt for white spelt flour or just bread flour made of wheat.

 

I n g r e d i e n t s 

750g bread flour

a pinch of salt

2tsp dried yeast

1tsp vanilla sugar

200ml sour cream

200ml whole milk

115g butter

60g caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

 

M e t h o d

1. Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl. Heat the sour cream, milk, butter and sugar in a pan until lukewarm. Add the egg, saving a little for brushing. Combine the mixtures, stir well, and leave in the bowl to stand for 15-30 minutes, covered with a towel. 2. Knead the dough on a hard surface for 10-15 minutes, shape into a ball, return to the bowl, cover with the towel, and leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk. 3. Punch down and leave to rise a second time for 45 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk. 4. Divide into three or more strands, pulling each 4-5 times. Braid the strands and place the loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 5. Leave to rise for about 20 minutes, covered with a towel. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C. 6. Brush with the remaining egg and bake on the lower rack for about 30 minutes. 7. Check by knocking the loaf underneath -if the sound is hollow, your Zopf is ready. Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and honey or jam.

V a r i a t i o n s

To make Hefezopf, replace 200g of the bread flour with spelt flour. Double the amount of caster sugar you mix into the dough and sprinkle the loaf with granulated sugar before baking. To make Hefekranz, it's best to increase the recipe by 1/3 (using 1kg of flour) so there will be more dough to shape into a wreath. If liked, mix the dough in either recipe with 100g slivered almonds or 100g washed & floured raisins -before the second rising.