Classic Vegan Braided Sweet Yeast Bread
Our Easter bakery is officially open! And what can we say — we're kicking things off with an absolute classic: a vegan Hefezopf (braided yeast bread). We already have a recipe for a vegan poppy seed Hefezopf and a vegan Hefezopf with nut filling, but not yet one for a classic plain Hefezopf. Back to basics, exactly.
A Baked Good with a Long History
The fact that Hefezopf belongs to Easter is no coincidence: the earliest evidence of yeast-leavened baked goods at Easter dates back to the 12th century. Since the Christian Easter celebration is modeled on the Jewish Passover — during which only unleavened bread is traditionally eaten — yeast was used as an alternative leavening agent. The sweet, butter-rich dough also symbolizes the end of the Lenten fast: you can finally eat as much butter as you like again. How wonderful!
Our vegan Hefezopf carries on this tradition in exactly the same way — just without any animal ingredients. Plant-based butter, soy vanilla milk, and fresh yeast produce a dough that turns out just as fluffy and flavorful as the original. Serve it with jam if you like — that's really all it needs.
What You Should Know About Yeast Dough
Yeast dough isn't a difficult dough, but it does require one thing: patience. The plant-based milk should be lukewarm — if it's too hot, the yeast will die; too cold, and it won't start working at all. Approximately 37 °C / 99 °F is ideal. If you don't have a thermometer handy: a drop on the inside of your wrist should feel neither warm nor cold. When baking, our absolute favorite is soy milk.
Another thing to keep in mind: the longer the dough rises, the more flavorful it becomes. If you have time, you can also let it rise overnight in the fridge — this makes the flavor even rounder.
Braiding for Beginners
Four strands might sound like a lot at first, but with a little practice it goes faster than you'd think. We've included a link to a good video tutorial in the recipe — watch it once and you'll be good to go. And if the first braid turns out a little lopsided: pearl sugar and jam can cover a multitude of sins.
If you're looking for more Easter recipes, you'll definitely find what you're looking for on our blog, whether you want spoon eggs (chocolate Easter eggs) or savory recipes for your Easter brunch.
Classic Vegan Braided Sweet Yeast Bread
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
- 200 ml (0.75 cup) soy vanilla milk or another plant-based milk
- 70 g (0.3 cup) sugar
- 7 g (0.25 oz) fresh yeast
- 400 g (3.3 cups) wheat flour (type 405 or 630)
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g (3.5 oz / 0.5 cup) plant-based butter
For the topping:
- vegan cream for brushing
- pearl sugar
- jam for serving
Instructions
Gently warm the plant-based milk — it should be lukewarm, approximately 37 °C / 99 °F, but not hot under any circumstances, as this will kill the yeast. Dissolve the yeast and all the sugar in the milk and leave to stand for approximately 10 minutes until the mixture begins to foam slightly.
Add the wheat flour, salt, and room-temperature plant-based butter and knead everything into a smooth, elastic dough — approximately 10 minutes by hand or 5–7 minutes with a stand mixer. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and no longer be sticky.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for approximately 60 minutes until it has roughly doubled in size.
Briefly knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long strand.
Press the four strands together at the top and braid into a Hefezopf, pressing the ends together firmly. Here you'll find a good tutorial for that. Place the Hefezopf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover again, and leave to rise for approximately 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 355 °F (convection). Brush the Hefezopf with a little vegan cream and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Brush with vegan cream once more immediately after baking. If the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, it's perfectly baked through. Serve with jam.
