Sourdough Discard Braided Bread

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The sourdough braided bread recipe with orange filling and cream cheese glaze on top has a history that dates back to ancient civilizations.

Prep Time3 30

Cook Time30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Isreal

Servings:

Calories: 384kcal

Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.
Let the milk cool slightly then add egg, sugar, sourdough discard, yeast, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until the dough forms a ball let the dough rest for 30 mins.
Turn the mixer on low and run for 7 minutes until the dough is smooth. The dough should be sticky. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour if needed.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for the first rise to double its size.
On a lightly floured surface, take the soft dough out of the large bowl and roll it into a large rectangle.
Once the dough is spread evenly, spread out the orange marmalda on top.
Roll dough into a tight log, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan.
Cover the entire dough with a clean kitchen towel and chill for about 30 minutes.
Cut the log in half lengthwise into equal pieces using a serrated knife, leaving about 1 inch intact at the end. Crisscross the sections with the layers facing up until you have formed a full twist like a long rope.
Pinch the ends together and brush with the remaining tablespoon of butter that is melted.
Let the dough rest at room temperature for the final rise for about 1 hour or until puffy.
Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and water along with some of the orange zest.
Place the braided bread on a wire rack to cool then drizzle with the glaze and sprinkle with orange zest on top. Enjoy!

Not crazy about the orange flavor? I've added strawberry jam or apricot jam and it came out great on my end.
I also did poppy seeds or sesame seeds. I used an egg wash instead so the seeds would stick better to the dough.