# Seven-Strand Plaited Wreath

By Willy Bear · 2026-10-06 · https://ricottabear.com/seven-strand-plaited-wreath


Paul Hollywood’s plaited wreath: a plain olive oil dough, seven strands, one simple move repeated, and the plait joined into a ring.

## The story

A showpiece that is easier than it looks. Seven long strands are fanned out from one point and plaited with a single move, the outside strand over three into the middle, first from the right, then from the left, again and again. The finished plait is bent into a ring, glazed with egg and baked until it is golden and shiny.

Paul Hollywood’s recipe from The Great British Bake Off: Comfort Bakes, published on the Bake Off website, written out here in my own words.

## Recipe: Seven-Strand Plaited Wreath

A white bread wreath plaited from seven strands with one repeating move, joined into a ring, glazed with egg and baked golden.

> Status: UNTESTED. The author has not made this yet; quantities and timings may change.

- Makes: 1 wreath
- Prep: 40 min
- Bake: 25 min
- Total: 2 hr 35 min

### Ingredients

**For the dough**

- 500 g (4⅛ cups) bread flour
- 7 g (2⅓ tsp) instant yeast, fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g (1⅔ tsp) table salt, fine
- 1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 340 ml (1⅜ cups) water

**To glaze**

- 1 egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

### Method

1. **Mix.** Put the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast and salt and stir them through.
2. **Add the water.** Measure the water in a jug. Pour in about three-quarters of it with the olive oil and mix by hand, then mix in the rest to make a dough.
3. **Knead.** Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, until the dough looks silky and stretchy.
4. **Rise.** Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
5. **Divide.** Knock the dough back on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Divide it into 7 equal pieces (weigh them) and roll each into a strand about 50 cm long.
6. **Set up.** Lay the strands on a lightly floured surface like an octopus, fanned out from one point at the top and stretching toward you. Press the top ends onto the surface with your thumb.
7. **Plait.** Take the outside strand on the right and cross it over 3 strands into the middle. Then take the outside strand on the left and cross it over 3 strands into the middle. Keep going, right then left, until all the strands are plaited.
8. **Make the wreath.** Trim each end of the plait neatly, bend it round into a ring and pinch the ends together. Tuck the join underneath.
9. **Prove.** Set it on the floured baking sheet, put it in a proving bag and leave for 45 minutes, until almost doubled. Heat the oven. Oven: 425°F / 220°C (200°C fan).
10. **Bake.** Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Notes: The Bake Off page gives the water only in the method, so it is listed here with the rest. It also says Gas 8 next to 220°C; Gas 8 is hotter, so this uses 220°C (425°F), which matches the other two temperatures it gives.