Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or onto a silicone mat. Briefly knead it to knock the air out, then divide it into eight equal pieces. You can weight them for accuracy if you like
06Flatten each piece out into a sausage shape, then fold in half and use the palms of the hands to roll each piece into a long strand approximately 45cm/18" long
07Lay all of the strands out and attach them at the top by pinching the dough together and tucking it under. Each strand will be numbered from left to right, from numbers one to eight. Each time you move a strand, it will be renumbered to it's new position. Then follow the plaiting sequence:Step 1: place 8 under 7 and over 1Step 2: place 8 over 5Step 3: place 2 under 3 and over 8Step 4: place 1 over 4Step 5: place 7 under 6 and over 1Repeat steps 2-5, until all the dough is plaited
08Chop off any strands that are too long and/or tuck the ends under to neaten it up. Put the plaited bread onto a lined baking tray, cover it loosely with lightly oiled cling film and leave it to rise again for 1 hour
09Pre-heat your oven to 200C Fan/425F/Gas Mark 7
10Glaze the bread with the egg using a silicone pastry brush. Or you can use a clean paint brush (that has never been used with any unedible substances)
11Bake it for 25 minutes until it is golden and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom
12Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or you can freeze it