Baker's Delight {Lemon-Cream Cheese Braid}

When I grow up, I want to be a baker!  But not just any baker, I want to bake beautiful yeast breads, both sweet and savory.

While "professional baker" might not be in my immediate future, I still like to pretend that I'm one whenever we visit El Rancho.  Have I mentioned the wonderful clay oven? 

I'm always searching for the next yummy yeast bread recipe to wow friends and family with at the ranch.  One recipe that immediately caught my eye was the Braided Lemon Bread filled with Cream Cheese and Lemon Curd, that I found on the King Arthur Flour blog, Baker's Banter.

I really love all things lemon, so this was the bread for me.  The recipe called for store-bought lemon curd, but I was going to have to make my own.  Not a problem.  There's an easy recipe for Lemon Curd in my Southern Cakes cookbook!  

I have yet to find a yellow lemon in Mexico, but Mexican limones (limes) work just as well with this recipe.  And don't worry if you have any leftover lemon curd.  You can use it to fill layer cakes or cupcakes.  Or what about Lemon Curd Empanadas?  One of my favorite ways to use lemon curd is swirling it into a cheesecake just before baking!

And just a note, if you're making the Lemon Curd for the Braided Lemon Bread, do it a day or two ahead.  Trust me on this one!   

Lemon-Curd Recipe (from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 6 tablespoons cold butter

Directions:
Bring about 3 inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan.  Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in the top of the double boiler or in a glass jar or another saucepan that will fit snugly over the other saucepan.

Cook the egg/lemon mixture over the simmering water, whisking and stirring constantly.

Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.  Cool to room temperature.  Store any leftover Lemon Curd in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Enjoy!!!

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Now on to the fun part...the bread!

The directions on the King Arthur flour blog, included mixing the dough in a bread maker.  I don't have one of those, so I did it the old-fashioned way.

The only substitution I made, besides using homemade Lemon Curd, was using Mexican Crema instead of yogurt. 

This recipe yields 2 large braids, so it will definitely feed a crowd. 

Braided Lemon Bread 
(from King Arthur Flour)

Sponge:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 
Dough:

• All of the sponge
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema or plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• egg wash for brushing braid
• sparkling white sugar for sprinkling on braid

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 2/3 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine all of the sponge ingredients, except the warm water.

Add the warm water, stirring to combine.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let set 10 to 15 minutes.

Your sponge should look like this.  I love all of those little air bubbles!

Add the dough ingredients to the sponge.  Mix by hand, just until the dough forms a ball.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 8 minutes.

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl.  Cover and let rest until double in size. 

While the dough is proofing, prepare the cream cheese filling.

In a medium bowl, beat together all of the ingredients for the cream cheese filling until creamy.  Set aside until ready to use.

Look at how my dough doubled in size!

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.  Roll each half into a 10 x 15-inch rectangle. 

Transfer the rectangle to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  (I didn't use the parchment paper, but I wish I had!)

Spread half of the cream cheese filling down the middle third of the dough. 

Spread 1 cup of lemon curd over the cream cheese.  (The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, but I wanted more lemon filling!)

Using kitchen scissors, cut the sides of the dough into 1-inch strips.  Fold the strips over the filling.  Cover the braids with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let set for 45 minutes.

Brush the loaves with egg wash and top with sparkling sugar.  (I used regular granulated sugar!) 

Bake the braids in a preheated oven at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a light golden brown.  Cover with aluminum foil and let set for about 15 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!!

With Love,

Printable Version

18 May 2010

Baker's Delight {Lemon-Cream Cheese Braid}

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Lemon-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Every so often, we take a day off and head to the ranch. My favorite thing about going to the ranch, is getting to use the rustic clay oven. Everytime we go, I prepare a yeast bread recipe. Our last outing, was on Easter Sunday, and I prepared these wonderful Lemon-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.

Now, I know that a lot of people are afraid to make a yeast dough recipe, because they can be too complicated, especially since the liquid involved needs to be a certain temperature. But, fear not! In most cases, you can use hot tap water. If the liquid required involves milk and melted butter, just heat in a medium saucepan until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat. In the 15 years that I have been preparing yeast dough, I have never used a thermometer, and have never messed up a recipe. So, if I can do it, so can you!

Lemon-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 envelopes instant yeast*
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs

For the filling:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat water, milk and butter, just until butter has melted. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes, at medium speed with an electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest 45 minutes in a warm place.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 20 x 10-inch rectangle; brush with half of the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine remaining filling ingredients; sprinkle half on dough. Beginning at shorter side*, roll up tightly, pinching seams to seal. (See picture)

*(Note: I rolled up the dough from the longer end just to yield more rolls.)

Cut each log into 10 equal pieces. Arrange loosely, cut side up, on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake in a conventional oven at 375ºF for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Remove from oven; drizzle with Lemon Glaze. Enjoy!!!

Lemon Glaze:
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Stir until smooth.

Yields 20 rolls

*Note: You can substitute quick active dry yeast for the instant yeast.  Just dissolve the yeast in the hot water and let set for 10 minutes before adding it to the flour mixture.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

18 April 2009

Lemon-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

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