Braided chicken bread recipe

Step 1

For filling, heat oil in a medium saucepan and cook leek over gentle heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add butter and stir to melt, then add flour and stir through. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in stock, followed by milk. Whisk until smooth, then simmer over gentle heat for 3 minutes to thicken. Add cooked chicken and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until completely cold.

Step 2

Combine warm milk, sugar and yeast and set aside until bubbly. Combine flour, salt and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add milk mixture, and mix for 6 minutes until dough is pliable and springy to the touch. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes.

Step 3

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour until dough has doubled in size.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 200C. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 40cm by 30cm rectangle. Use scissors or a knife to cut horizontal strips along both long sides of the dough, approximately 10cm long, every 3cm. Distribute chilled chicken filling down the uncut centre of the dough, then cover it with alternating strips of pastry in a rough ‘plait’ pattern, tucking in the top and bottom ends of pastry to fully enclose the filling. Transfer filled loaf to a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Step 5

Whisk together egg and extra milk. Brush liberally over the bread. Leave for 15 minutes to rest, then bake for 18-20 minutes until the bread is golden and the filling is piping hot.