Lemon Thyme Bread Braid

I’ve said this before, but I love bread. I love everything about eating it and baking it. I love the kneading, the rolling, the rising, the smell – I love it all. This gluten free bread tastes and smells amazing. It would be perfect with a bowl of warm soup in the fall/winter or alongside a quick salad in the spring/summer. My one note (as you will see in the picture) is to make sure you don’t forget about your rising bread braid or it could turn into a bread turkey. Yes – my boys said this tasted great but it did resemble a turkey – not so much a braid. Don’t worry – I’ll bake again and post a better (more braid-like) photo!

1 pkg of Bob’s Red Mill Homemade Wonderful Bread mix

2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 ½ cup warm almond milk
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp tarragon vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme
Potato starch for kneading bread

• In a small bowl, mix the contents of the yeast package (from the bread mix) with the warm milk and let set for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, blend bread mix, eggs, vinegar, oil and yeast mixture with a mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
• Pour dough mixture on to a clean surface dusted with potato starch. Sprinkle the top of the dough ball with a little starch to keep your hands from sticking. Knead dough a few times and separate into three equal pieces. Form each piece into long skinny strips. Mine ended up being about 2 inches thick and 10 inches long. Braid the strips of dough together. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.
• Note: Don’t let the dough rise too long (I forgot about mine for about an hour).
• Bake the braid for about 40-50 minutes at 350 °F or until cooked through and slightly brown.
• If your bread starts browning too quickly, cover bread with foil and continue cooking. Remove from oven and let cool for about an hour.