Looking back, I realize how misled I really was. What I thought was a delicious, fresh meal was really just a box of hydrogenated oil and unprounceable chemicals. Those frozen meals were a frequent part of my diet, explaining why I grew out of my clothes almost faster than I could microwave one of those meals. I mean I was never what one would call morbidly obese, but my weight tended to fluctuate depending on how often those frozen boxes went on sale.
Sometimes, after trying to stomach whatever my parents made for dinner, I would sneak a box late at night, tiptoeing to the microwave like a cat burglar. And, it would rarely be just one box. After completing the first, it wasn’t long before I would be rushing to the fridge for a second. I was like a crack addict, never feeling sated, always coming back for more. What’s worst is—I was my own dealer.
I continued eating them throughout my early high school career. And it wasn’t until my senior year of high school, when I realized that these frozen meals weren’t really satisfying me. Sure, there was an immediate sensation of euphoria upon eating them. However, I would never feel full afterward, plus I was starting to become more and more conscious about what I ate. It was finally time for an intervention, one that I would have to conduct upon myself. I started to discipline myself to start cooking. It started out simply. I would manage to rustle myself out of bed to cook myself breakfast every once in a while. Then, it eventually escalated to the point where I would cook dinner every night. Armed with recipes, a little time, and patience, it wasn’t long before I was baking my own bread from scratch.
Granted, it’s not easy to bake bread and I still have a lot to learn. However, I will admit that I have come a long way from the old days of eating frozen foods. One of my more recent bread baking attempts was this golden braid of soft, sweet bread filled with blueberry and cream cheese filling. It is the absolute perfect breakfast accompaniment with a cup of coffee or tea. The dough is so sweet and delectable that you don’t even need to put sugar in your beverage.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Braid (Recipe originally by Lora Giorgi at Cake Duchess)
Makes 2 braids
For the Blueberry Filling:
1 pound blueberries, picked over, washed, dried
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Dough:
Part 1 (Sponge)
4 tsp of active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cup warm milk (must be at 100-110 ° F)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Part 2
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut up in tablespoon portion at room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Blueberry Filling Directions (Prepare a Day Ahead):
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| Before |
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| After |
1) Combine 1 Tablespoon of water and 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch then set it aside.
2) Combine the ½ lb of blueberries, sugar, and 1 Tablespoon of water in a saucepan then bring it to a boil.
3) Let it simmer at low heat for 3 minutes.
4) Add cornstarch and lemon juice. Let simmer and constantly stir for 30 seconds.
5) Stir in the remaining raw blueberries. Turn off the heat then let the filling sit out until it is set. When it sets, place it in the refrigerator.
Cream Cheese Filling Directions (Can be made the day of baking):
1) Blend ingredients together very well with a mixer and set aside. The results should be smooth and glossy.
Dough Directions (Prepare a Day Ahead):
1) Proof the yeast by combining it with the milk and sugar.
2) Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it bubbles and foams.
3) Add in 2 cups of flour then combine until it is smooth.
4) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. It should be spongey.
5) Add the eggs, sugar, one cup of flour, and sugar to the sponge. Beat well until it is smooth.
6) Add the butter in small cubes and continue beating. Then add the remaining flour until the dough is the right consistency. It should not be sticky. Knead the dough by hand or mixer for about 5 minutes. It should be smooth.
7) Place the kneaded dough into a greased bowl. Then, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size at room temperature. It should take about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
8) Punch down the dough, replace the plastic wrap (make sure its tightly covered) then place it in the refrigerator.
9) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and punch it down. Divide it into two pieces. Place each piece of dough on parchment paper. Then roll it out to a thin rectangle. The height should measure about ½ cm.
10) Use a sharp knife to lightly mark the dough into 3 parts lengthwise. Cut diagonal slits in the outer thirds about 1 ½ inches apart.
11) Add half (or less) of the cream cheese filling you made earlier to the middle third. Then add half (or less) of the blueberry filling on top of the cream cheese.
12) Fold the cut pieces over each other and secure it by pressing on the overlapping pieces. This is like braiding so it should look like a braid.
13) Cover the dough with plastic wrap then let rise until doubled in size. It should take 45 minutes. Repeat the process for the second piece of dough. In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. When the dough is doubled in size, glaze each braid with egg wash. Bake on the center rack for 35-40 minutes. To ensure even baking, rotate it after 20 minutes. When baking is complete, let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Notes:
- My modifications from the original recipe were to use an equivalent amount of active dry yeast, no sugar in the cream cheese, and to let the active dry yeast proof before adding flour to create the sponge.
- The dough is broken into two parts: the first is the sponge and the second is the finished dough. Two steps are necessary for this bread to ensure that the bread will be super soft and flavorful. The first step is called the sponge as it refers to the appearance of the dough after combining and letting it rest.
- When I first made this, I didn’t roll the bread out thin enough. I rolled it to a height of one centimeter, which was too thick and made it difficult to braid. ½ a centimeter should be a better measurement, but I have yet to test it.
- You’ll be tempted to bite into the bread immediately, but good things come to those who wait. Bread still continues to cook when its removed from the oven. By letting the bread cool you ensure that it cooks all the way through. It will taste better, trust me!
