Savory Breakfast Braid

You all know that we try to make as much of our food from scratch, with natural, wholesome ingredients, as we can. During the holiday season, this can be difficult (especially when you add a newborn into the equation!).  

Time is short, schedules are busy, guests are visiting and things fall through the cracks. Breakfasts usually get the bum deal. Like when was the last time you savored a real breakfast, apart from a mug of coffee and butter slice bread. Ages ago, right?  

If you are determined to keep up with your healthy eating habits during this holiday season, here’s a delicious breakfast recipe that can help you get some nutrients in. Fixing a quick breakfast on a lazy morning or hosting a brunch party on a weekend, the crispy breakfast braid can be the focal point of your breakfast table.

We created this recipe for a Savory Breakfast Braid – hopefully, you’ll find it useful too.  It is filled with a delicious blend of breakfast ingredients including smoked gouda cheese, eggs, spinach, and caramelized onions and the crust is made with whole wheat flour. The best part is, you can customize a portion with your favorite veg, meat, and cheese toppings. From freezer to oven, you can have a delicious first meal of the day quick, crisp, and healthy.

 

Savory Breakfast Braid – The Recipe

A roll filled with currant and raspberry jam lies on a metal board. Preparation for baking. Homemade cakes.

The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a pretty large portion, which can be used to entertain a number of guests for breakfast or it can be wrapped in individual portions and reheated in the oven for a week’s worth of healthy, delicious, and easy breakfasts.

Ingredients (8 Servings)

Dough

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup of warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar

Filling

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1-2 cups packed spinach
  • 1-2 cups smoked gouda cheese
  • 1 egg
  • salt, to taste

Directions 

Make the Dough

When it comes to breakfast braid, it’s not just the filling inside that is mouthwatering but the braid is delicious as well. The light and crisp braid combined with the flavors and creamy goodness inside sets an incredible combination.

1. Pour the warm water into a large bowl, mix in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water/sugar mixture.  Leave to sit for 10 minutes (this allows the yeast to proof).

2. Once the yeast has proofed, mix in the remaining ingredients (save 1/2 cup of flour) until you have a shaggy dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.  Incorporate the remaining half cup of flour until the dough is no longer sticky.

4. Place in a well-oiled bowl, in a warm spot, to rise for 30 minutes.

The secret to the fluffier but crusty braid is baking powder. The powder works just like yeast does, and that is making your bread puff up if added to the dry ingredients. Although yeast does a perfect job in making the baked dough rise, baking powder makes the bread lighter and adds a little crispiness to it.

Make the Filling

Preparing the filling is probably the most interesting part of the entire recipe. Though the basic recipe with egg, cheese, and meat is just fine, you can experiment with all sorts of materials in it. For instance, you can add pastrami or bacon as the main filling and add mushrooms and olives on top, or you can use an omelet instead of a scrambled egg, the choice is yours!

Experimenting does take a while and sometimes the outcome isn’t as good as you hoped. So, it’s best to try on weekends when you have all the day to yourself. Be that as it may, here is a short guide to prepping materials for a traditional savory breakfast braid.

1. Slice the onions into thin slices.

2. Melt 1 k, stirring every so often until the onions turn dark brown.  Sprinkle with the sugar so that they caramelize.

3. Add spinach and stir gently until wilted. Scoop them out into a separate bowl.

4. Melt the remaining tbsp of butter in the pan and add eggs.

5. Blend cream cheese and egg together and cook it on an oiled skill for a minute or two.  Add veggies to the egg and stir gently. Season it with salt and pepper to your taste. (You can leave the eggs half-cooked and let the oven handle the rest.)

Assemble

The reason why breakfast braid looks just as good as it tastes is its ingenious assembling. There is a lot of precision and technique that goes into baking a breakfast braid that decorates your morning table.

1. When the dough has puffed up, roll it out into an oval shape of about 12×15 inches either side. Make sure to place it on a floured surface or on parchment paper, before you add the stuffing.

2. Spread out the prepared material, starting with the scrambled egg, and layer meat/bacon, veggies, peppers, and shredded smoked gouda cheese on top.

3. Slice 1-inch strips on both sides of the dough with the help of a pizza cutter or pastry roller.

4. “Braid” the dough by overlapping the strips one on top of the other. Stretch the strips to fully seal the material on top.

5. Transfer completed braid to a cookie sheet and brush with lightly beaten egg. Sprinkle some pink salt on top to your taste.

6. Shift the parchment on the cookie sheet and bake at 375F (190 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes until it develops the iconic golden-brown crisp on top.  Slice it into pieces and serve.

Here you go! Your favorite egg dish – breakfast braid is ready to be devoured.

FAQs: Savory Breakfast Braid

1. How long does it take to cook a breakfast braid?

Baking a breakfast braid can take you around 40 – 50 minutes at most. Once you have the material cooked and placed on the sliced dough, bake it for 20 – 25 minutes in an oven at 375F (190 degrees C).

2. Can you add meat instead of ham or bacon?

If you don’t have a thing for bacon or ham, you can definitely add slices of meat into your breakfast braid.

3. What type of garnishing can you add to a breakfast braid?

There is no end to the kind of garnishing you can add to your breakfast braid. You can use cheddar instead of smoked gouda cheese, capsicum instead of onions, and omelet in place of scrambled egg. Breakfast braid can be customized according to your taste.

Conclusion

Got some time for yourself this weekend? Baking breakfast braid is a fun way of putting that to good use. Try this easy, fun, and savory recipe in less than an hour and bring smiles to your breakfast table.