Allow me to quote Jack's homepage:
"Zopf is traditionally made with a special type of flour called Zopfmehl. It is readily available throughout Switzerland. This type of flour is mostly a mixture of all-purpose white flour and white spelt (gr. Dinkel). It is especially well-suited for fat-filled doughs, because the increased amounts of protein from the spelt will improve the dough’s elasticity and help hold the shape while keeping a soft texture. If you do not have access to zopfmehl, then try making your own mixture by combining about 15% bread flour with 85% all-purpose flour."

Do try making it yourself, Bell, and taste the difference between store-bought Zopf and your own made with real butter and full-cream milk.
It's really easy to make. Promise.

Thanks Argus....but just to be clear, it is actually our blog... The entire article (including our video on how to make zopf) can be viewed by following the link in the first post of this thread...

Excellent video. I attended a Farmer's Wife school many years ago and the technique is exactly how we learned it there. After braiding, I usually put the dough into the fridge for 15 minutes and then put it into a hot oven. Turn it up to 220 for the first 20 minutes and then down to 180 for the rest.

Everyone has their own secrets to Zopf. My sister-in-law makes the best Zopf in the world and won't tell me her secret. I guess her Zopf is her pride and joy and no one is going to take that away from her.

Thanks for supplying a very professional and educational video.

Thank you for the nice comments...We've actually received quite a lot of comments from transplanted Swiss throughout the world, and it is nice to hear from everyone and discover a few secrets along the way... Your method with the oven temperatures is quite good...this will produce a thicker crust, which some find quite nice...
Jack

I tried making Zopf today! quite happy with it! I'm not a big fan of thick-crust bread... and I do hate to admit but I love white bread... so zopf is wonderful I did mess up a little with the plaiting though... I was following the video then I lost my place and then I couldn't figure out how it should go and then I just bundled them all up together at the end. Oh well... I guess practise makes perfect. Thanks Jack for this recipe! And Thanks Argus for pointing out that I can find out everything at Jack and Sylvia's blog

Hi Bell...thanks also for making a comment about the music on the blog and for giving zopf a go...I commented back about the music... Good luck in you zopf adventures...

I guess I'm spoiled since my father is a swiss baker, and I grew up with Zopf all the time, I do remember the first time I realized he braided it when my mother asked him to braid my hair and he could do it so naturally even though he had never braided hair before. I love Zopf good delicious with nutella