Cookbook Club – Magnolia Table, Volume 2

In March, the Cookbook Club explored a little part of the Magnolia cult… I mean “network”… using the Magnolia Table, Volume 2 cookbook by Joanna Gaines. If you couldn’t tell, I was a bit dubious going in, and you can find out whether or not the meal turned me into a convert on my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish!

Not a lot of the recipes immediately popped out at me, but how could I not be drawn in by the photo of this beautiful bread?

I combined warm water, yeast, and sugar, and let stand until foamy.

I put flour, sugar, and salt in my stand mixer. While on low speed, I added the yeast mixture, more warm water, canola oil, and eggs. I used the dough hook to mix on medium speed until the dough formed a ball, which I then covered and allowed to rise until doubled in size.

After rising, I punched the dough down, then divided it into 3 equal portions. I made these into 15-inch ropes and braided them together on a greased baking sheet. I covered the braid with plastic wrap and let rise another 45 minutes.

After rising, I brushed the braid with a mixture of egg and cream, then sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I baked at 375 degrees F for 28 minutes, then transferred to a wire rack to cool.

The bread came out gorgeous, and I desperately wanted to love it. Sadly the actual eating experience was a letdown. Not a bread I’d be excited to eat on its own. I’m going to try making the leftovers into bread pudding.