Plaited Easter Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Holidays deserve a special treat. This buttery, Plaited Easter Bread with Cream Cheese Filling was the perfect holiday indulgence for my family!

This spectacular Easter Recipe is a sublime bedtime snack after Easter Vigil Mass and then again for breakfast or brunch on Easter morning.

Why You Must Make

• The dough is soft, buttery, and easy to work with!
• Even if you don’t know how to braid, this method just involves crossing one strip over another. Super simple, plus it looks impressive.
• Adding cream cheese filling makes it worthy of a special occasion. It’s ideal for a holiday breakfast or brunch!

Ingredient Notes

• Kitchen Staples – Lukewarm Water, Salt, All-Purpose Flour, Milk
•  Dry Active Yeast – 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons); I use Red Star Yeast.
•  Eggs – 2 lightly beaten, 1 beaten with water.
•  Honey – If you have access to local honey, it can help with seasonal allergies.
•  Unsalted Butter – Part melted, part at room temperature.
•  Cream Cheese – At room temperature for easier blending; I use the Philadelphia brand.
•  Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor
•  Powdered Sugar – Sift for a smooth glaze.
•  Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract, not artificially flavored. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.

Tester Endorsement:

From my friend, Kathy, via Facebook: So delicious – verified taster!

How to Make

So when I think of Easter, my thoughts travel back to the freshly baked rolls drizzled with frosting that we tore into before heading to bed. With full stomachs we excitedly headed upstairs, knowing there would still be leftovers for breakfast. So as Easter approached, I wanted to make a rich egg bread and fill it with cream cheese. I broke open my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (affiliate link) and vacillated between brioche and challah until the challah won out.

1. After mixing all the ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, the dough has an initial 2-hour resting period.
2. Then it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or used immediately.
3. Only half the dough is needed and it’s rolled into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle.
4. Make the filling and spread down the middle 3 inches of the dough, leaving wide borders on each side.
5. Cut slits along each side, each about 1½-inches wide either at a slight angle or straight.
6. Starting at one end fold one strip over the filling, then repeat on the other side, working back and forth from one end to the other until all the filling is covered.
7. Let the dough rest again, then bake for a half-hour. This is one of those amazing Easter Recipes that is destined to become a tradition.

Cut strips on each side leaving the middle intact. Place filling down the center, then criss-cross the strips over the filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like:

• Greek Easter Bread by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Italian Pizza Rustica
• Plus my Braided Easter Bread
• More of my best Bread Recipes

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The Recipe:

Plaited Easter Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Yield 1 braided loaf plus dough for another loaf

Bread recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Ingredients

Dough:

• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast (1 packet)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Egg wash:

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Icing:

• Powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla to make icing

Instructions

1. Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in the bowl of your stand mixer.
2. Mix in the flour with a dough hook attachment until it is all incorporated.
3. Cover the dough with a cloth and allow it to rest at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (after that, freeze).
5. When ready to bake, line the baking sheet with parchment and dust the dough with flour.
6. Roll half of the dough into a rectangle 8 inches by approximately 12 inches. Return the other half of the dough to a covered container in the refrigerator for later use.
7. Cut slits along both longer sides towards the middle at about 1 ½-inch increments...leaving a strip of uncut dough about 3 inches wide, down the middle of the rectangle.
8. See photo. I cut out and removed a little extra dough on both ends for easier braiding, but that's optional.
9. Mix cream cheese, sugar, butter, and lemon juice till smooth. Spread down the middle of the dough, then plait (braid) the strips by crossing one over the other at a slight angle, to cover the filling.
10. Cover with a dishcloth and let rest for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add more time if your dough is cold.
11. Preheat the oven to 350º. Brush the loaf with egg wash.
12. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes. Cool and ice as desired with a mixture of powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.

Notes

Yield: 1 loaf plus 1 pound of bread dough for a second loaf of your choice.
Total time does not include proofing times.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Red Star Platinum Yeast (Instant Yeast)
• 
  Smithcraft Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set
• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 529mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 8g

My nutrition calculator took into account the other half of the bread dough that's not used. Therefore, the calories are higher than they should be.

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