No Reviews
You must be logged in to post a review.
Braided bread with strawberry and cream cheese filling.
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, yeast and 1/4 cup flour. Stir well to combine. Cover with tea towel, and set aside to proof for 15 minutes.
Combine the yeast mixture with sugar, sour cream, butter, egg, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead until a soft and smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with tea towel, and allow to rise for 90 minutes, until the dough almost doubles in size.
While the dough is rising, combine all the filling ingredients (except the jam) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve until ready to fill the bread.
Gently punch to deflate the dough and roll it out on a very well floured counter into a 10″ x 15″ rectangle. Transfer rectangle to a large piece of parchment paper. Lightly press to divide the rectangle into three equal columns with the side of your hand. Spread cream cheese filling down the center section, leaving the top and bottom 2″ free of filling. Spread the strawberry jam over the cream cheese filling.
To form the mock braid, cut crosswise strips 1″ apart down the length of the outer columns of your dough (the parts without filling). Make sure you have an equal amount of 1″ strips down the right and left sides. Be careful not to cut your parchment paper. Remove the four corner segments. To braid, begin by folding the top flap down and the bottom flap up over the filling. Lift the top dough strip and gently bring it diagonally across the filling. Repeat on the right side, and continue down the entire braid, alternating strips until you are done.
Carefully transfer the dough and the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with tea towel and set it aside to rise for 50 minutes, until quite puffy.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and lightly beat to combine. Brush the loaf with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
No Comments
Leave a Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.