Braided Egg Bread

Your guests will be impressed with this loaf. chances are they will ask you the name of the bakery where you bought it!! please do not be daunted by the long(ish) list of instructions -- they assist you through the process of making the bread. adapted from a pilsbury cooking book. you can use smaller strips of dough and make two loaves. you can serve this either sliced or let your guests break off pieces.

Steps

Warm the milk and margarine until about 120f.

Blend the liquid , 1 1 / 2 cups flour , sugar , salt , yeast and eggs until moistened.

Beat for 2 minutes.

By hand , stir in flour until you have a stiff dough.

Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.

This will take about 5 minutes.

Grease a bowl , place the dough in it and turn the greased side up.

Cover and let rise until doubled.

This will take 1 1 / 2 to 2 hours.

Please be patient.

Grease a cookie sheet.

Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal parts.

Shape each part into a strip about 20 inches long.

You can roll the dough in your hands like you used to do with plasticine.

Place the 4 strips side by side on the prepared cookie sheet.

Yes , one end will extend over the ends of the sheet.

Pinch the 4 strips together at one end.

Now , braid the strips by weaving the far right strip over and under the next strips to the far left.

Weave the next far right strip.

Continue until you braid all the pi.

Ingredients

milk, margarine, flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs