I never make a pre-dough at the beginning, because my braid always works wonderfully without it and I therefore don`t need it. But if you want to do one, you are welcome to do it as you know it.
First, mix the water with salt and yeast well in a glass and set aside for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, briefly knead the flour and soft but not too runny butter. Add the yeast mixture as well as egg, milk, sugar and bitter almond flavor and knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes, either with the machine or with your hands. It is important that you knead long and vigorously until you have a smooth dough.
Peel and roughly grate the carrots. Finally knead into the dough for about 1 minute. The dough must not stick too much, if this is the case, add a little flour.
Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm place for at least 1.5 hours until it has significantly increased in volume. (Of course you can also have all of this prepared in the bread maker)
After resting or rising, whip the yeast dough again vigorously and knead well.
Now divide the dough into 3 parts and roll them into strands of the same length, which should not be too thin. Now braid them into a tight braid. (4, 5 or 6 strands can also be braided, depending on how you like it)
Place the braid on a well-greased tray or on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes until the dough has visibly increased its volume.
Bake the braid in a preheated oven at 180 ° C top / bottom heat or 165 ° C fan oven for a good 30-35 minutes. Since every stove heats differently, it may take a little longer, but don`t let it get too dark, otherwise the braid will be too dry.
For a nice crust, I brush the braid with a whisked egg before baking and put a little sugar on it.
The braid becomes very loose and fluffy and stays fresh for a long time. The carrots give it a special aroma. If you like, you can also add nuts to the batter!
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