I’m not even going to bother being modest about this: I’ve revolutionized Mondays. While everyone else is dragging themselves out of bed and into business attire, I’m still sleeping. And later, while other people are checking their email, returning phone calls, and preparing for meetings, I’m in my pajamas drinking tea, making brunch, and watching documentaries with my husband.
This is a luxury of working from home, obviously: Eric usually works Saturdays at his part-time job, so I work them too, and then we both refer to Sunday and Monday as “the weekend.” I like to go to the gym on Sunday mornings, when the atmosphere of the place is about as quiet and relaxed as it ever gets, so that leaves Monday as the best day of the week for a lazy at-home brunch. Not everyone knows this about me, but I take brunch pretty seriously. I’ll occasionally take it easy with scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage, but I’m most excited about it when there’s a minor risk of complete failure. Because, of course, the flip side of that risk is triumph. Triumph that I get to eat.
I found my latest culinary conquest in The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, which I got as a birthday gift from my mom last month and haven’t had much occasion to use. Enter the raspberry cream cheese braid: the first pastry I’ve ever attempted. The recipe assured me it would be easier to make than it looks, and everyone knows the people at King Arthur Flour don’t lie. I will say, though, that there’s a bit of a learning curve: none of the pictures here are of the first braid I put together because the second one was just so much prettier.
Start by proofing your yeast in warm water with a bit of flour and sugar. After the mixture has sat undisturbed for about 15 minutes, you should be able to see bubbles forming on the surface, as well as small cavities left by bubbles that have already popped. If your mixture isn’t bubbling at all, throw the whole thing out and start over with fresher yeast.
Mix the remaining sugar and wet ingredients (sour cream, butter, egg, and lemon zest) into the proofed dough to moisten it up a bit before you add the rest of the flour. Then stir the flour in about half a cup at a time. I usually toss my wooden spoon aside about halfway through and work the flour into the dough with my hands instead. Once you have everything combined, either knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured countertop, or use the dough hook on a stand mixer. Either way, expect to do about 10 minutes of kneading. When the dough is soft and stretchy, plop it into a greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 45 minutes or until it’s twice its original size.
Waiting for dough to rise might be boring if you didn’t have to get your fillings together. Use a hand mixer to combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until it’s well-combined and fluffy, then stir in the flour and egg. In another bowl, stir some flour into your raspberry jam. (Feel free to use any jam flavor you like, if you’re not in a raspberry mood.)
When your dough is ready to go, gently deflate it and then divide it in half. Kitchen shears are handy for dividing dough, but a plain old knife would work, too. Roll each half of the dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle, then transfer to a buttered baking sheet. I gently folded my rolled-out dough into thirds like a letter, slid a large dough scraper under it for support while I lifted it, then unfolded it again once it was resting safely on the baking sheet.
Spread half of the jam on each piece of dough first, making a 2 1/2-inch wide strip of deliciousness right down the center. Be sure to leave about an inch of bare dough on each end. Gently spread half of the cream cheese mixture in an even layer on top of the jam. Feel free to lick the knife when you’re done. (Unless you’re offended by raw eggs, which I am not. Salmonella, schmalmonella.)
Now it’s time to get down to the braiding: make 2 1/2-inch-long diagonal cuts, 3/4 of an inch apart and all pointing in the same direction, all the way down each side of the dough. Kitchen shears are definitely better than a knife for this job; I tried both. Fold both ends of the dough over the filling, then pull the strips across the filling, one at a time and alternating sides, from one end of the pastry to the other. Cover the braids with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until they start to look puffy. I gave mine half an hour to rise and then stuck them in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. If your braids have been in the fridge overnight, take them out now so they can get a little closer to room temperature before the oven warms up. This is also the time to brush your braids with an egg wash (one egg lightly beaten with a tablespoon of water), if you want them to have a shiny, golden brown surface like mine. Another option is to mist the braids with water and sprinkle them with coarse sugar. Either way, bake the braids for 32-36 minutes.
Let the braids sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before you slice them. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and then warmed up in the oven or the microwave, but these are much better when they’re fresh, so I recommend completely stuffing yourself while they’re still warm. Assuming you want the best possible return on your efforts, that is.
Makes 2 braids, supposedly 16 (but more realistically 4) servings each
Dough:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) warm (75-78°F) water
- 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
- 3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) sour cream
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) softened butter
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Filling:
- 1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) softened butter
- 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (6 ounces) raspberry jam mixed with 2 tablespoons flour
In a large bowl, use a fork to stir the yeast into the warm water until mostly dissolved. Then stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Gradually work in the remaining dough ingredients and knead the dough (either by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook) until it’s soft and pliable but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm place until it’s doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
While the dough rises, prepare the fillings. First beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Then stir in the flour and the egg, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to combine thoroughly. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and the raspberry jam. Set both fillings aside.
Gently deflate the risen dough and divide it in half. Roll each half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle and place each onto a lightly buttered baking sheet.
Spread half of the jam in a 2 1/2-inch-wide swath, lengthwise, down the center of each dough rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Top the jam with half of the cream cheese filling. Make 2 1/2-inch cuts every 3/4 inch down both long sides of the dough. Fold the ends over the filling, then pull the cut strips up and over, alternating sides. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
Cover the braids and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until they look slightly puffy. If you’re preparing these to bake in the morning, give them 30 minutes of rising time and then stick them in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. (If your braids have been in the fridge, pull them out now so they can sit at room temperature while the oven heats up.) For a darker, shinier crust, lightly beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush this over the top of the braids, or spritz the braids with water and sprinkle coarse sugar over the top.
Bake the braids for 32 to 36 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
The post Monday Brunch: Raspberry Cream Cheese Braid appeared first on How to Get Rid of Things™.
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