Matcha Sweet Braided Loaf

Bring a little color to your holiday baking with this vibrant Matcha Braided Loaf. It’s unique, eye-catching, and filled with cozy flavor that’s sure to surprise and impress your loved ones.

This loaf is subtly sweet with earthy matcha notes and a beautiful green swirl running through every slice. It pairs perfectly with coffee or tea—and yes, your kitchen will smell incredible while it bakes. This is one recipe you’ll want to make again and again.

Matcha Braided Loaf Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

BREAD DOUGH

• 7 grams (1 packet, or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 5 grams (~1 teaspoon) sugar
• 200 ml (13.5 tablespoons) milk, lukewarm
• 320-360 grams (~ 3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 75 grams (~6 tablespoons) sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 35 gram (~2.5 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened

MATCHA FILLING

• 60 grams (~4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 100 grams (~1/2 cup) sugar
• 1-1.5 tablespoon matcha

EGG WASH

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a bowl, mix together active dry yeast, 5 gram sugar, and lukewarm milk with your Danish Dough Whisk or spoon. Set aside to bloom or until foamy and frothy, about 10 minutes. 

In a mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Mix well with the Danish Dough Whisk, then add in egg yolks, butter, and yeast solution. Knead until smooth and soft, only adding a bit of flour if necessary. Kneading time is about 20 minutes.

Place bread dough in a bowl, and cover it with a wet kitchen towel/bowl cover. Set aside to proof until the volume is almost doubled, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen or inside the oven with just the light on.

Meanwhile, let's make the matcha filling. Beat together unsalted butter, sugar, and matcha until well mixed. Set aside.

Once the bread has finished proofing, punch down to remove air bubbles. Then transfer the bread to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 2 minutes, then roll into a rectangle-like shape of about 10-inch by 15-inch. Doesn’t have to be a perfect shape.

Spread matcha filling on the rolled dough, leaving some space uncovered around the edges. Roll the bread into a log. Use a knife or SmartScraper to cut the log into 2, place the two-half logs side-by-side so the filling is facing up, then braid into a braided loaf.

Transfer the braided loaf into a 9"x5" greased loaf pan. Cover the pan with a wet kitchen towel/bowl cover and proof again until the dough fills the pan, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen or in the oven with just the light on.

Preheat oven to 170 Celsius (325 Fahrenheit). Brush the top of the bread with egg wash (mix together egg yolk and milk), and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. At around the 25-minute mark, if you see that the top of the bread is browning too much, you can use a piece of parchment paper to cover the loaf.

Remove the bread from oven. Let it rest for about 30 minutes, then gently remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack. It is best to serve the bread warm.

Enjoy! 

*Adapted from Daily Cooking Quest.