Fluffy yeast plait – simple recipe (perfect for Easter)

March 30, 2026

Today I’m showing you my favorite yeast plait recipe – simple, fluffy and deliciously fragrant! My family loves it and we prefer to enjoy it with jam or just plain. I always bake two yeast plaits from 500 g of flour, actually with the idea of freezing one – but that never happens! As soon as they come out of the oven, they are eaten in no time at all 😄!

Yeast plait recipe – the ingredients

Here is an overview of the ingredients. As always, you will find the exact quantities at the bottom of the recipe cards.

Wheat flour: For an elastic dough that does not tear during braiding, I recommend wheat flour type 550. It has a higher gluten content than standard 405 flour and provides the typical fine-pored structure. Alternatively, you can also use type 405.
Milk (lukewarm): If you don’t want to use milk, you can replace it with plant-based milk (e.g. oat or almond milk).
Fresh yeast or dry yeast: both variants work. Fresh yeast must be dissolved in the lukewarm milk, dry yeast can be mixed directly with the flour.
sugar – gives the plait a slight sweetness.
Salt – a must in every yeast dough, as it rounds off the taste.
eggs – one whole egg for the batter and only the yolk of one egg for the coating
Butter (room temperature, soft) If you don’t want to use butter, you can replace it with margarine or neutral oil, but the taste will be slightly different.

" If you like, you can add a little lemon zest or a pinch of cardamom to the dough - this gives the yeast plait a special flavor! Optionally, you can sprinkle the plait with loaf sugar before baking or cover it with a light sugar glaze after baking."

Braiding yeast plaits the right way – instructions with 3 strands

Baking yeast plait: step-by-step instructions

Activate the yeast & prepare the dough: Pour the lukewarm milk (it must not be hotter than 37°C, otherwise the yeast will die!) into a large mixing bowl. Crumble in the fresh yeast and add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir everything until the yeast has dissolved. Leave this mixture to stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes until small bubbles form.
Knead the main dough & leave to rest: Now add the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt, the soft butter and the one whole egg to the yeast mixture. Knead the dough with the dough hook of your food processor (or by hand) for at least 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and supple and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour until it has doubled in volume.
Shaping & braiding – Divide the dough in half and braid each half into a plait. Shape one half into 3 smooth balls. Roll each ball into a long shape and leave to rest covered for approx. 30 minutes. Then braid the strands into a plait (see photo above)
Coating & baking – Brush with a mixture of egg yolk and yoghurt, optionally sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Tips & notes:

Lukewarm, not hot! – The milk should only be lukewarm, not hot, otherwise the yeast cultures will die and the dough will not rise.
Knead well – The dough should be kneaded for at least 10 minutes until it is elastic. This will make the plait nice and fluffy later.
Allow the dough to rise properly – Ideally in a warm, draught-free place. If it is cool, briefly heat the oven to 30 °C, switch it off and leave the dough to rise.
Glossy crust – The egg yolk and yoghurt mixture creates a nice glossy crust. Alternatively, you can also use milk or an egg with a little water.
Shelf life & storage – Best enjoyed fresh! Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze. When baked briefly, the yeast plait tastes as fresh again.
Refine to taste – If you like, you can add raisins, chopped nuts or a little lemon zest to the dough. A sugar glaze after baking also makes the plait particularly tasty.

Frequently asked questions about the yeast plait recipe

1. why is my yeast dough not rising?
Possible reasons: The milk was too hot and killed the yeast.The dough was in a place that was too cold. The yeast was no longer active (fresh yeast has a limited shelf life).
2. how long does the yeast dough need to rise?
At least 1 hour, until it has doubled in volume. It may take longer if the room temperature is cool.
3. can I leave the yeast plait to rise overnight?
Yes, just place the dough in the fridge after kneading and leave to rise slowly overnight (8-12 hours). The next day, allow it to reach room temperature briefly, then plait and bake.
4. can I also make the yeast plait with dry yeast?
Yes! 7 g of dry yeast is equivalent to 20 g of fresh yeast. Simply mix the dry yeast directly into the flour, dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm milk beforehand.
5. how long does Hefezopf keep?
It tastes best fresh on the day of baking. Wrapped airtight, it stays moist for 1-2 days. To reheat, briefly place in the oven or toaster.
6. can you freeze yeast plait?
Yes, it is best to freeze in slices or as a whole plait. To defrost, simply leave at room temperature or bake briefly in the oven.

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Simple yeast plait recipe

5 from 1 vote

Today I'm showing you my favorite yeast plait recipe - simple, fluffy and deliciously fragrant! My family loves it and we prefer to enjoy it with jam or just plain. I always bake two yeast plaits from 500 g of flour, actually with the idea of freezing one - but that never happens! As soon as they come out of the oven, they are eaten in no time at all 😄!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Rest period 1 30

Total Time 2 15

Servings: 2 Yeast plaits

Course: Baking, Bread, Easter recipes, Yeast plait

Cuisine: Germany

Calories: 397

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

500 g Wheat flour (type 550) Alternative type 405
250 g Milk lukewarm
20 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast
4 g salt
70 g Sugar
1 full Egg
70 g Butter

For spreading:

1 Egg yolk
1 tbsp Yogurt (optional)

Method

Dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm milk, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and leave to stand for 5-7 minutes.
Place the flour, salt and remaining sugar in a bowl. Add the butter, egg and milk/yeast mixture and knead into a smooth dough.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour until doubled in volume.
Divide the dough in half and braid each half into a plait. To do this, form 3 smooth balls from each half. Roll out each ball into a long shape, cover and leave to rest for approx. 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180 degrees (top/bottom heat).
Then braid the strands into a plait (see photo). Repeat the same with the other half.
Mix the egg yolk and yogurt well. Brush the yeast plait with the mixture. If you like, you can sprinkle some sugar on top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 1086mgPotassium: 224mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 462IUCalcium: 252mgIron: 1mg

Notes

The milk should only be lukewarm, not hot, otherwise the yeast cultures will die and the dough will not rise.
If you like, you can add raisins, chopped nuts or a little lemon zest to the dough.
It is best to leave the dough to rest in a warm, draught-free place. If it is cool, briefly heat the oven to 30 °C, switch it off and leave the dough to rise.

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Hi, I’m Shiba

I’m glad you’re here. My dishes are very much inspired by the cooking skills of my mother, who comes from Pakistan. I also present Palestinian dishes that I learned about from my husband’s family. So you’ll find lots of dishes from 1001 nights here!

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