How To Make Blueberry Cream Cheese Pastry Braid
Blueberry Cream Cheese Pastry Braid is a breakfast pastry made with easy DIY buttery flaky dough paired with a lightly sweetened cream cheese filling.
Serves:
Ingredients
For Pastry Dough:
- ¼cupwarm water,between 100 to 110 degrees F
- 2¼tspactive dry or instant yeast,(1 standard packet)
- ½cupwhole milk,at room temperature, or between 68 to 72 degrees F
- 1large egg,room temperure
- ¼cupgranulated sugar
- 1tspsalt
- 14tbspunsalted butter,cold
- 2½cupsall-purpose flour,spoon and leveled, plus more for generously flouring hands, surface, and dough
For Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8ozfull-fat cream cheese,softened to room temperature
- 1large egg yolk
- ⅓cupgranulated sugar
- 1tspfresh lemon juice
- 1tsppure vanilla extract
- ¾cupfresh blueberries,or frozen (do not thaw)
- ⅓cupalmonds,sliced, optional
For Egg Wash:
- 1large egg
- 2tbspwhole milk
For Vanilla Icing:
- ½cupconfectioners’ sugar
- 1tbspheavy cream or milk
- ½tsppure vanilla extract
Instructions
Pastry Dough:
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Whisk the warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and allow to rest for about 5 minutes until foamy on top. If the surface doesn’t have bubbles on top or look foamy after 15 minutes (it should if the yeast isn’t expired), start over with a fresh packet of yeast.
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Whisk in remaining sugar, milk, egg, and salt. Once these wet ingredients are mixed together, lightly cover and set the bowl aside as you work on the next step.
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Cut the cold butter into ¼-inch slices and add to a food processor or blender. Top with 2½ cups of flour. Pulse the mixture 12 to 15 times until butter is crumbled into pea-size bits. While a pastry cutter works also, it is best to use a food processor or blender for this dough
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Pour the flour mixture into the wet yeast mixture. Very gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The butter must remain in pieces and crumbles, which creates a flaky pastry.
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Turn the sticky dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or into any container you can tightly cover.
1st Refrigeration:
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Wrap the dough/cover-up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.
To Roll and Fold the Dough:
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Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough sat for more than 4 hours, it may have slightly puffed up and that’s ok. (It will deflate as you shape it, which is also okay.) Very generously flour a work surface. The dough is very sticky, so make sure to have more flour nearby.
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Using the palm, gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 15×8-inch rectangle. When needed, flour the work surface and dough as rolling. Fold the dough into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise and roll it out into a 15-inch long rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise. Repeat rolling and folding 1 more time, for a total of 3 times.
2nd Refrigeration:
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Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for about 1 hour and up to 24 hours. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
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Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Rimmed baking sheets are best because butter may leak from the dough as it bakes. If there are no rimmed baking sheets when it’s time to preheat the oven, place another baking sheet on the oven rack below to catch any butter that may drip.
Cream Cheese Filling:
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In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and egg yolk together on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, then beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut it in half. Wrap 1 half up and keep refrigerated as you work with the first half.
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On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12×8-inch rectangle.
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Using a sharp knife, cut off two corners of the dough (on one 8-inch side) and then two small triangles 3 inches apart from each other on the other end (the other 8-inch side).
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Spread ½ of the cream cheese filling down the length of the center of the strip, which should be about 3 inches wide. Dot with half of the blueberries (about ⅓ cup). Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel, or pizza cutter, cut 10 slanting strips (¾ – 1 inch wide each) along both sides.
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Fold strips over filling, alternating each side to resemble a twist or a braid. Fold the bottom end up to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the second half of the dough and the rest of the filling. The braids may seem very narrow, but they puff up and out as they bake.
Egg Wash:
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Whisk the egg wash ingredients together. Brush all over the dough. Sprinkle almonds evenly on top of the braids after brushing the dough with egg wash for a little crunch. It is recommended to refrigerate the shaped braids before baking for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour before baking. The braids tend to leak more butter and/or lose more shape if they haven’t chilled.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Bake each braid for about 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Some butter may leak from the dough, that’s completely normal and expected. Feel free to remove the baking sheets from the oven halfway through baking and brush the dough with any of the leaking butter, then place back in the oven to finish baking.
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Remove baked braids from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes before icing, cutting, and serving.
Vanilla Icing:
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Whisk the icing ingredients together. For a thicker icing, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar; for a thinner icing, whisk in more milk or cream. Drizzle over warm pastries and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Do not use an electric mixer for this dough. It’s best if the dough is folded together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula since it is so sticky. There is very minimal mixing required.
- Cover leftover iced or un-iced pastries and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving. Before enjoying, feel free to reheat leftover iced or un-iced pastries in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed.
Nutrition
- Calories: 792.24kcal
- Fat: 48.56g
- Saturated Fat: 26.56g
- Trans Fat: 1.09g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 14.26g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.29g
- Carbohydrates: 77.43g
- Fiber: 3.25g
- Sugar: 34.33g
- Protein: 13.72g
- Cholesterol: 211.52mg
- Sodium: 556.98mg
- Calcium: 119.97mg
- Potassium: 267.14mg
- Iron: 3.34mg
- Vitamin A: 424.92µg
- Vitamin C: 2.14mg
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