Best 6 Zopf Recipes

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Zopf, also known as Hefekranz or Butterzopf, is a traditional Swiss bread that is often enjoyed for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, or New Year's Day. It is characterized by its distinctive braided shape and golden-brown crust. Zopf is typically made with a sweet yeast dough that is enriched with butter, milk, and eggs. The dough is then divided into three strands, which are then braided together before being baked. The result is a light and fluffy bread with a slightly sweet flavor. Zopf is often served with butter, jam, or honey. In this article, we will explore some of the best recipes for making zopf, providing step-by-step instructions to help you create this delicious and traditional Swiss bread.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

ZOPF



Zopf image

I discovered this Swiss Sunday bread when I was visiting friends in Switzerland. One of these friends is a pastry chef! The measurements given to me were metric, so I had to convert them. This makes a beautiful loaf and is super easy to make!

Provided by Victoria Marler

Categories     Bread     Yeast Bread Recipes     White Bread Recipes

Time 1h35m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 ⅓ cups warm milk
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 ½ cups bread flour
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the egg yolk, butter and 2 cups of bread flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 14 inch long cylinder. Braid the pieces together and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • In a small bowl, beat together egg white and water. Brush risen loaf with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25, until golden.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 38 calories, Carbohydrate 1.6 g, Cholesterol 24.3 mg, Fat 2.8 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 30.4 mg, Sugar 1.3 g

ZOPF (TRADITIONAL SWISS PLAITED BREAKFAST BREAD)



Zopf (Traditional Swiss Plaited Breakfast Bread) image

Zopf is a soft milk bread and is a family tradition with us; it is usually served with butter and jam, although can also be served with soft cheeses and cold meats. It is a breakfast or dinner bread. If you need to know how to do the plait, let me know and I'll send you a diagram! Based on a Betty Bossi recipe.

Provided by Chickee

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 3h

Yield 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 kg plain flour
1 tablespoon salt
30 g yeast (or a 1/4 ounce packet)
1 tablespoon sugar
125 g melted and cooled butter
650 -700 ml milk
1 egg yolk, thinned with
milk

Steps:

  • Mix together all ingredients except egg yolk to make a soft dough. Knead 10 minutes or so.
  • Divide into 4 and make long sausages with the dough.
  • Form the sausages into 2 square crosses.
  • Plait each cross, using a 4 strand plait, so that you end up with two loaves of plaited bread.
  • Put in the fridge until ready to bake- overnight, for example.
  • Paint the loaves with a little of the egg yolk.
  • Place a water bath under the oven shelf. Bake in the bottom half of a 220 degree Celcius preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down and bake at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 2561.7, Fat 69.6, SaturatedFat 40.7, Cholesterol 272.4, Sodium 4022.7, Carbohydrate 408.6, Fiber 16.6, Sugar 7.7, Protein 69.5

SWISS - ZOPF



Swiss - Zopf image

This recipe is by Victoria Marler and has been posted for the ZWT-7 tour of Switzerland. This beautiful loaf is quick and easy to make.

Provided by Baby Kato

Categories     Breads

Time 1h35m

Yield 1 loaf

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/4 ounce yeast, pkg, active, dry
1 1/3 cups milk, warm
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 1/2 cups flour, bread
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
  • Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the egg yolk, butter and 2 cups of bread flour; stirring well to combine.
  • Next, stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, for 7 - 8 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 14 inch long cylinder.
  • Braid the pieces together and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  • Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Lastly In a small bowl, beat together the egg white and water.
  • Brush the risen loaf with the egg wash and bake for 20 to 25, until golden.

ZOPF-SWISS EGG BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)



Zopf-Swiss Egg Bread (Bread Machine) image

Make and share this Zopf-Swiss Egg Bread (Bread Machine) recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 3h10m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fast rising yeast (or 2 1/2 t. bread machine yeast)

Steps:

  • Add all the ingredients into the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start.
  • When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack.
  • Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 224.1, Fat 4.6, SaturatedFat 2.5, Cholesterol 33, Sodium 454.7, Carbohydrate 38.5, Fiber 1.5, Sugar 1.7, Protein 6.6

ZOPF - GREAT TASTING SWISS BREAD!



Zopf - Great Tasting Swiss Bread! image

This is a great bread recipe that was shown to me by a friend whose family is Swiss. This bread is great with butter or jam and tastes amazing. Every time I make it my family eats two loaves within about an hour. Enjoy! Note: This is not a bread machine recipe.

Provided by cabomhn

Categories     Breads

Time 2h5m

Yield 2 Large Loaves, 18 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 kg flour (35 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup milk (1 dl, Slightly less than a 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons sugar
21 g yeast (3 individual packets)
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups milk (separate from the 1 dl milk)
1 egg yolk
1 drop half-and-half or 1 drop heavy cream

Steps:

  • Put the flour into a bowl. If you are using a Kitchen Aid you can put it into that mixing bowl.
  • Mix 2 teaspoons of salt with flour.
  • Make an indentation into the middle of flour.
  • Pour 1 dl milk into a cup (microwavable)
  • Add 2 tsp sugar into the milk, stir well.
  • Heat milk for 30 seconds in the microwave.
  • Add 21 grams yeast into the milk and stir well.
  • Pour yeast into the indentation in the flour.
  • Let the yeast sit for 10 minutes.
  • Cut butter into small pieces.
  • Put pieces into a pan and melt on medium heat.
  • Add 6 dl milk to the melted butter; make sure butter is lukewarm.
  • Go back to your flour and yeast and now put the bowl into the mixer and mix on the lowest setting.
  • Add the melted butter to the dough while mixing.
  • Let mix for 10 minutes.
  • Loosen the dough from the bowl and put a wet cloth over the dough. Make sure it is loose to allow room for rising.
  • Let sit for one hour.
  • Pre heat oven to 425(f).
  • Separate dough into two pieces. Each piece will make a single loaf of bread.
  • With one of the pieces, separate it into two sections and roll them out and a floured surface. You want to roll them so the middle is the thickest and the ends are slightly narrower.
  • Fold dough --
  • *start by putting one roll vertically and one on top of it horizontally.
  • *fold top part down to bottom (left).
  • *fold bottom part to top (right).
  • *fold left part to right (top).
  • *fold right part to left (bottom).
  • *repeat- at end, join parts together.
  • Separate an egg yolk from the egg white.
  • Break the yolk and add a drop of half and half or heavy cream (optional).
  • Use food brush to spread yolk on dough- avoid crevices.
  • Put dough into oven with small bowl of water. Put dough on wax paper to prevent the bread from sticking.
  • After 10 min., set temperature of oven down to 395(F) for 20 minute.
  • Take out of oven. The bread is done.
  • Let cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 303, Fat 9.3, SaturatedFat 5.5, Cholesterol 35.9, Sodium 323.5, Carbohydrate 45.9, Fiber 1.7, Sugar 0.7, Protein 8.2

ZOPF (SWISS)



Zopf (Swiss) image

Submitting for ZWT III, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was submitted by Victoria Marler. She states in her introduction, the following: "I discovered this Swiss Sunday bread when I was visiting friends in Switzerland. One of these friends is a pastry chef! The measurements given to me were metric, so I had to convert them. This makes a beautiful loaf and is super easy to make!" When a recipe is easy, it gets my attention.

Provided by Happy Hippie

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 35m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups milk, warm
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
  • Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the egg yolk, butter and 2 cups of bread flour; stir well to combine.
  • Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 14 inch long cylinder.
  • Braid the pieces together and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  • Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • In a small bowl, beat together egg white and water.
  • Brush risen loaf with egg wash.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25, until golden.

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients, especially for the butter and flour, as these will have the biggest impact on the flavor and texture of the Zopf.
  • Make sure the butter is cold when you add it to the dough, as this will help to create a flaky texture.
  • Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, but be careful not to over-knead it, as this will make the bread tough.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will help to develop the flavor and make the bread light and airy.
  • Brush the Zopf with egg wash before baking, as this will give it a golden brown color and a shiny crust.
  • Bake the Zopf in a preheated oven until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Conclusion:

With its rich flavor, soft texture, and beautiful braided appearance, Zopf is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whether you are a seasoned baker or a beginner, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. With a little patience and attention to detail, you will be rewarded with a loaf of Zopf that is sure to impress your family and friends. So what are you waiting for? Get baking!

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