Spinach Braid

Fan of spinach? This is bread to impress.

Dough:

• 75 g starter

• 280g warm water

• 480g all purpose flour

• 12g salt

Filling

1. oil

2. 1 onion

3. 1 clove of garlic

4. 250 g spinach

5. salt and pepper

6. 50 g mayonnaise

7. 30 g sour cream

8. 120g shredded mozzarella

Egg wash

• 1 large egg

• sesame seeds for sprinkling

1. Make the Dough

   In the large bowl, whisk the starter and water, add salt and flour. Combine to form a round dough. Cover and let rest for 30 min, perform 1 set of stretch and fold.

   Cover the dough and let rise at room temperature until double in size, about 6-8 hours.

2. Make the Filling

   In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium low heat. Saute the onions until soft and light golden. Add garlic and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and stir until creamy. Once completely cool, chill the filling until ready to use.

3. Shape

   Remove the dough onto the parchment paper, with the floured rolling pin roll the dough into a large rectangle. trimming the edges as needed. Spoon the chilled filling down the center across. You should have a flap of dough on either side. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the filling.

4. Cut and braid the dough

   Working with one side at a time, cut 2,5 cm strip down the length of the dough using a lightly oiled pizza wheel or knife. Repeat, cutting the other side of the dough. Working from the top, over lap the left and right strip to cover the filling. The dough will stretch slightly as you begin the braid. Continue overlapping the dough until you have a full braid. Trim and tuck under the end pieces as needed. Transfer the sheet of parchment paper with the dough to a rimmed sheet pan.

5. Second rise

   Cover the dough and let rest until noticeably puffy, about 1-2 hours. Preheat your oven to 425F ( 220C).

6. Bake

   Bake the dough on the center rack for 30-35 min or until rich golden brown. Some of the cheese might bubble and ooze out of the sides while baking and it will turn crispy all around the edges. Cool for 30 min on the sheet pan before cutting into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.