Bake Off Recipe: Paul Hollywood’s Seven-Strand Plaited Wreath

It was bread week on last night’s episode of Great British Bake Off, which meant Paul Hollywood took the reins. For the technical challenge, contestants were tasked with creating a seven-strand plaited wreath – but there was an extra twist. Instead of being granted with a list of instructions, bakers were given a quick demonstration from Hollywood, before being sent off to create their own version. Some sailed through, while others struggled, with one baker using the egg in the dough rather than the egg wash, ending up having to redo the whole loaf.

Keen to give it a go yourself? We’ve nabbed the recipe below, so yours won’t need to involve a guessing game.

Great British Bake Off Technical Challenge No. 3: Seven-Strand Plaited Wreath

‘This loaf is all about enjoying the process – kneading by hand and forming the plait, and then, of course, the satisfaction of the first, pillowy bite.’

Ingredients:

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 7g fast-action dried yeast
• 10g fine salt
• 1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

Equipment:

• Baking sheet dusted with flour
• Proving bag

Method:

1. Make the dough. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and salt, and stir to mix.
2. Measure 340ml of water in a jug and pour three-quarters (225ml) of it into the flour mixture. Add the olive oil and mix by hand until combined, then mix in the rest of the water to form a dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until the dough looks silky and stretchy. Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface again and knead it to knock it back. Shape the dough into a ball. Divide the ball into 7 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a strand about 50cm long.
4. Make the plait. Lay out the strands on a lightly floured work surface like an octopus, with the legs fanned out from a central, top point, stretching towards you. Stick all the ends at the central point to the work surface with your thumb. Take the outside strand on the right and cross it over 3 strands towards the middle, then take the outside strand on the left and cross it over 3 strands towards the middle.
5. Repeat this process, always taking the outside strand (first on the right and then on the left) and crossing it over 3 strands into the middle until you have plaited all of the strands.
6. Shape the plait. Trim each end of the plait to neaten, then form the plait into a wreath, pinching the ends together to join them and tucking the join underneath to give a neat finish.
7. Place on the floured baking tray, then into a proving bag and leave the shaped loaf to prove for 45 minutes, until almost doubled in size.
8. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 8. Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Recipe from thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk