Cream Cheese Blueberry Bread (Braided and Overnight)

This cream cheese blueberry bread is a braided yeasted loaf filled with homemade blueberry filling and sweetened cream cheese. Makes 2 gorgeous braids.

If you love baking with blueberries, also try my Blueberry Icebox Pie. For a simpler summer bake, my Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips is always a crowd-pleaser.

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This cream cheese blueberry bread is one of the most impressive things I have ever baked and also one of the most rewarding. It is a braided yeasted loaf - closer to a Danish pastry than a standard quick bread - filled with a layer of sweetened cream cheese and a jammy blueberry filling.

The dough rises overnight in the refrigerator, which makes the schedule easier than it sounds, and the result is two beautiful braids that look far more complicated than they are.

I first made this when I had a craving for a blueberry Danish but wanted something I could slice and share. Straight from the oven it is extraordinary. I brought a still-warm loaf to my dentist's office once and they disappeared it into the back before I even sat down. That is the kind of bread this is.

What to Know Before You Start

• This is a 2-day recipe. The dough rises at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours on day one, then refrigerates overnight. On day two you shape, fill, do a second rise, and bake. Plan accordingly.
• It makes 2 braids. The recipe produces two full loaves - perfect for sharing one and keeping one, or baking one and freezing the other unbaked after shaping.
• Make the fillings ahead. Both the cream cheese filling and the blueberry filling can be made the same day as the dough or a day before. Both keep well in the refrigerator. Do not fill the bread with a warm blueberry filling - it must be fully cooled.

Ingredient Notes

• Instant yeast: Goes directly into the flour - no proofing needed. Active dry yeast also works but needs to bloom in the warm milk for 5 minutes before adding the flour.
• Warm milk: Should feel warm but not hot on your wrist - around 100 to 110°F. Too hot will kill the yeast.
• Butter: Must be truly room temperature - soft enough to press with a finger. Cold butter will not incorporate properly into the dough and leaves streaks.
• Cream cheese: Room temperature so it beats smooth. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy even after mixing.
• Blueberries: The pound of blueberries is divided: half goes into the cooked filling, half folds in raw at the end for texture. Fresh blueberries work best; frozen blueberries release too much liquid.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the blueberry filling so it holds together inside the braid and does not leak through the dough. Whisk it with the water first to prevent lumps.

Bluberry Filling Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk a tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ lb. blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water.  Bring to a boil.

When blueberries reach a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken - about 3 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixture and lemon juice to thickened blueberries, stirring constantly.  Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Fold in remaining blueberries.   Let sit at room temperature until set. If making the day before, leave in the refrigerator until the next day when ready to assemble the braid.  

now what about that DOUGH! let's get it started! (don't be afraid)

For the sponge: mix the sugar, yeast, and flour together in bowl. Pour in the warm milk. Beat until smooth,
then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for ½ hour.

after ½ hour…so spongey!

Add the eggs, salt, sugar, and one cup of the flour to the sponge. Beat until smooth. Then add the butter in small chunks and beat well. Add the remaining flour a handful at a time and mix in until a soft but kneadable dough is achieved and the butter thoroughly incorporated. If dough is still too sticky, add a flour a tablespoon at a time to achieve the right consistency. Do not add too much flour.

Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer until it is smooth and satiny. Add a touch of flour if dough is too sticky. Knead about 5 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise and room temperature until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Deflate the dough, recover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

Deflate the dough, recover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, make the fillings before shaping the loaves (or make the fillings the day before and leave in fridge until you're ready to shape the loaves).

If you made the fillings that day, wait until your blueberry filling has cooled off. Remove the dough out of the refrigerator and gently deflate it. Divide it into two pieces. Use a rolling pin to shape each piece into a thin (1 cm.) rectangle.

Place the first portion of dough in between two sheets of parchment paper (or waxed paper) and roll the dough into a rectangle (approximately 8x12 inches). With a sharp knife, mark the dough in thirds with a line (don't cut dough all the way through). It's just a marker to show 3 portions of the dough. Next,
Alternating from side to side, fold the pieces in over the filling. When possible, gentle press on the tabs to seal the folds.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until doubled in size; approximately 45 minutes. Repeat process with the second dough. While it is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Make 1 ½ inch diagonal cuts on the sides of the dough. (These cuts do go all the way through as you are forming the flaps of the braids. Make sure the cuts are even on the other side as you will be matching up the pieces in a criss-cross way.) Alternating from side to side, fold the pieces in over the filling. When you fold a piece over, gently press on the tabs to seal the folds.

Spread cream cheese in the middle of the dough leaving a little space from the edge of the middle marker line.  (about ½ inch). Spread the blueberry filling carefully over the cream cheese. Keep it in the middle of the cream cheese and don't over stuff it. 

Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until doubled in size; approximately 45 minutes. Repeat process with the second dough. While it is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F.

When loaves are ready to bake and doubled in size, glaze the braids with egg wash. Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, rotating it once after 20 minutes so that it bakes evenly. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing.

Tips

• Keep the parchment paper anchored. When rolling out the chilled dough, hold the edge of the parchment paper against the counter with one hand so it does not slide around. The cold dough takes some effort to roll out.
• Do not overfill. A thin, even layer of each filling is better than a thick one. Too much filling causes the braid to burst open during baking and leak. Keep the blueberry filling contained to the center of the cream cheese layer.
• Cool the blueberry filling completely. A warm filling will soften the cream cheese and make it impossible to spread cleanly. If you are in a hurry, spread the blueberry filling in a thin layer on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• The dough bakes best after the overnight rest. Some bakers have shaped and baked after the first rise only - it works, but the overnight cold fermentation develops more flavor and makes the dough easier to roll.

Storage

Store wrapped at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 3 days. The cream cheese filling means this bread should not sit out longer than a day in warm weather. To freeze: wrap the fully baked and cooled braid tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

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5 from 2 votes

Cream Cheese Blueberry Bread

This cream cheese blueberry bread is a braided yeasted loaf filled with homemade blueberry filling and sweetened cream cheese. Makes 2 gorgeous braids.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Rising time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 braided loaves

Calories: 1622kcal

Author: Lora

Ingredients

Sponge

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1½ cups warm milk 100 to 110°F
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Dough

• 2 eggs
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoon pieces

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Blueberry Filling
• 1 pound fresh blueberries divided in half
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Assembly

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water egg wash

Instructions

Day 1 - Dough

• Mix yeast, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Pour in warm milk and beat smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
• Add eggs, salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour to the sponge. Beat until smooth. Add butter piece by piece, beating well after each addition. Add remaining flour gradually until a soft, kneadable dough forms.
• Knead 5 minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1½ to 2 hours.
• Deflate dough, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Day 1 - Fillings

• Cream cheese filling: beat cream cheese smooth. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla until creamy. Refrigerate.
• Blueberry filling: whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water; set aside. Simmer half the blueberries with sugar and 1 tablespoon water until berries burst, about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and lemon juice; stir 30 seconds. Fold in remaining raw blueberries. Cool completely.

Day 2 - Shape and Bake

• Remove dough from fridge. Deflate and divide into 2 pieces.
• Roll each piece between parchment sheets into an 8 x 12 inch rectangle.
• Mark dough lightly into thirds. Cut 1½-inch diagonal flaps along both outer thirds (cuts go all the way through).
• Spread cream cheese down the center third. Top carefully with cooled blueberry filling. Do not overfill.
• Alternating sides, fold cut flaps over the filling in a crisscross pattern. Press ends to seal. Repeat with second braid.
• Cover loosely and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Brush with egg wash. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, rotating at the 20-minute mark, until deep golden brown. Cool 30 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Notes

• This is a 2-day recipe. The overnight refrigerator rise is strongly recommended - the dough develops more flavor and is much easier to roll out cold than at room temperature.
• Do not overfill the braids. A thin, even layer of each filling prevents the braid from bursting open during baking.
• The blueberry filling must be fully cooled before you spread it over the cream cheese. Warm filling will melt the cream cheese layer.
• Both fillings can be made 1 day ahead and kept refrigerated. This spreads the work across 3 days if needed and makes baking day much more manageable.
• Freeze a fully baked, cooled braid wrapped tightly for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1622kcal | Carbohydrates: 272g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 278mg | Sodium: 2170mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 1761IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 10mg

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