Soft Braids with Almond Milk: The Light and Digestible Breakfast
If you are looking for a breakfast brioche that combines the softness of traditional recipes with the lightness of plant-based ingredients, the almond milk braids are the perfect solution. Inspired by a classic from Benedetta Rossi, these braids replace cream with almond milk, making the dough incredibly digestible and fragrant.
The Secret for a Soft and Aromatic Dough
The undisputed protagonist is almond milk. The quality is very important, though. If you use a brick product, ensure it contains at least 11% almonds. Alternatively, for a more intense flavor, you can make it at home by dissolving pure almond paste in water. Replacing the cream, often present in such recipes, with plant milk reduces saturated fats without sacrificing softness, ideal for those seeking a “sweet treat” without heaviness.
Delicious Garnish: Sugar and Chocolate
To make these braids visually stunning and irresistible to the palate, garnish the surface before baking with sugar sprinkles: for the classic crunch note and chocolate shavings, for a delicious touch that melts in your mouth.
[Recipe by “Fatto in casa da Benedetta” with my personal modifications]
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 7 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 11 large braids
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it doesn’t cost you anything extra!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 cup almond milk (+ as needed for brushing)
- 3/8 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp almond flavoring
- 1/2 oz fresh yeast
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed sugar sprinkles
- as needed dark chocolate chips
Tools
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Knife
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Pizza cutter
- 1 Brush
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Baking paper
- 1 Tea towel
Preparation
First, mix in a small pot the almond milk with the milk. Heat on the stove for 1′ no more, and pour it into a large bowl. Dissolve the fresh yeast, crumbling it with your hands and then stirring it with a wooden spoon (fig. 1).
Once the yeast is well dissolved, add the sugar, the egg at room temperature, the almond flavoring and start stirring. Then add a pinch of salt and gradually incorporate the two flours, continuing to mix initially with the help of a spoon (fig. 2).
As soon as the dough begins to become consistent, proceed to work it with your hands directly in the bowl (fig. 3).
Then transfer it to a floured work surface and continue working it until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough (fig. 4).
Place it in a slightly floured bowl and make a cross on the surface with the help of a knife, then cover with plastic wrap (fig. 5).
Let it rise inside the turned-off oven with the light on for about 4-5 hours, until it doubles in volume** (fig. 6).
After the rising time, take the dough and roll it out on a slightly floured surface with the help of a rolling pin. You need to get a rectangular sheet about 1/2 inch thick. Then with a pizza cutter, start making 12 horizontal strips (fig. 7).
Once done, make another vertical cut that divides them in half (fig. 8).
Braid 3 strips at a time, joining and sealing the end (fig. 9).
Form the braids* and close them (fig. 10).
Transfer your braids to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rise covered with a tea towel for about 2 hours. Then brush them with some almond milk using a kitchen brush (fig. 11)
Garnish with sugar sprinkles and chocolate chips as desired, and bake the braids in a static oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 18 minutes. Once out of the oven, brush them with water to keep them soft inside and out (fig. 12).
Once cold, dust them with powdered sugar.
And voilà… the soft almond and chocolate braids are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉The braids should be stored at room temperature inside a food bag or an airtight container and consumed within 2-3 days. Once cooked, you can freeze them and consume them as needed.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* With the doses I provide, I baked eleven large beautiful braids, so depending on the size you choose to make, there could be double, so adjust accordingly!
🟣**Depending on the season, the rising times may vary significantly. The dough does not behave the same in summer and winter: in summer, being warmer, it obviously rises faster. To find out if the dough has risen, you can use the “finger test”, that is, lightly press a finger on the dough; if it leaves a slight imprint it is not yet ready and you must let it rise further. If the dough quickly springs back and leaves no imprint, it has risen. Conversely, if a very evident imprint remains, it has over-proofed. You can retrieve it by handling the dough and restarting the rising process.
🟣 If you don’t like almond milk or want more indulgence for the palate, you can substitute it with sweetened or unsweetened heavy whipping cream as desired, or for a lactose-free version, you can also use canned coconut milk (not the brick type), which is much more flavorful and dense. It should be refrigerated the night before so that the coconut milk separates from the cream, and you can more easily extract what you need for the recipe.
1. Is it possible to use dry yeast instead of fresh and in what quantity?
Yes, it is possible to use dry yeast instead of fresh yeast. In this case, the dose will be 4 grams of dry yeast. Proceed as per the recipe.
2. Can another plant-based milk be used?
Certainly. Oat milk or soy milk also work well, but almond milk gives a sweetness that the other types will lack.
