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This elegant Danish Braid is filled with a soft cream cheese and cranberry filling, sprinkled with citrus sugar to create a light sugar crust, and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze. It’s a beautiful, impressive looking treat, but it’s actually pretty easy to make.
I decided to create a great-tasting, healthier Danish Braid using whole wheat flour and eliminating the 2 sticks of butter traditionally rolled in to the Danish Braid dough. This is such a wonderful, flavorful dough, and the filling and toppings are so fabulous, you’ll never miss that extra fat.
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Citrus Cranberry Cream Cheese Danish Braid
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 –2 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 package rapid rise instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces 1 package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Citrus Sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Egg Wash
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons water
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cup bread flour, wheat gluten, and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade.
- Heat milk, orange juice and butter until butter melts and mixture is warm (120º to 130º). Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture.
- Add egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat at low speed until well combined. Switch to the dough hook, on speed 2 gradually add the remaining bread flour (add more or less as necessary) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead until smooth about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
- Place in greased bowl, turn. Cover, let rise until double approximately 60–90 minutes.
- While dough is rising make cream cheese filling: In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and egg yolk until smooth. Don’t over mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- While dough is rising make citrus sugar: In a small bowl, mix sugar, lemon zest and orange zest until well blended.
- Punch dough down, let rest 10 minutes before shaping. On a lightly floured work surface, silpat, or parchment paper, roll the dough into a 12 x 14-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Along one long side of the dough make parallel, 4-inch-long cuts with a pizza cutter or sharp knife 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
- Spoon the cream cheese filling down the center of the rectangle. Leaving 1 inch on the top and bottom unfilled. Sprinkle dried cranberries on top of cream cheese filling. Cut off the first two strips of dough on each side on the top and bottom of the rectangle. Fold the top and bottom flaps over the filling to cover. Begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling at an angle, alternating left, then right until finished. Trim excess dough leaving enough to tuck the ends underneath the braid.
- Transfer to baking sheet. Cover. Let rise until double, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375º. Make egg wash by mixing egg white with 2 teaspoons water and lightly brush some of it over the top of the braid. Sprinkle citrus sugar evenly over the top of the braid. Bake on baking sheet for 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle glaze over braid.
Sandy
Barbara, this braid is gorgeous! Your braiding is absolutely perfect!
I’m sorry I couldn’t make the blogger’s brunch, it sounds like so much fun.
laurie
Looks delicious!
Lynda
I have already subscribed to Barbara Bakes.
Lynda
A great giveaway and a fantastic looking braid! I love the cream cheese and cranberry flavors together.
SeattleDee
This braid just sings “Holiday”! I love the reduced butter and whole wheat substitutions, but am totally ignorant of vital wheat gluten. What is the role of the added gluten?
Barbara
Thanks Dee! Whenever I bake breads with whole wheat flour I add vital wheat gluten. It helps the bread rise better, which is especially important with heavier whole wheat flour.
Sharon
I follow Hodgson Mill on twitter @sharonjo2
Sharon
I follow Hodgson Mill on facebook.
(Sharon O.)
Sharon
I subscribe to your feed via Google Reader.
Sharon
I follow Barbara Bakes on facebook.
(Sharon O.)
Sharon
I follow you on twitter @sharonjo2
Sharon
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/146435476222513153
Sharon
I’m impressed with how you “healthified” the Danish Braid. It looks wonderful!
Thanks for the generous giveaway.
jacquie
also a subscriber to hodson mills blog and since i don’t “twitter” or “like” i hope that qualifies me for an additional entry.
jacquie
already a subscriber to your blog
jacquie
oh that looks very good and i would love to make it but i have a couple of questions ….. can you make it by hand instead of w/ a dough hook as i don’t have one. and can you use regular yeast instead of the rapid rise?
thanks.
Barbara
Thanks Jacquie! Yes you can make this by hand, you may want to double the kneading time. You can use regular yeast, but you won’t mix it in with the flour, instead dissolve the yeast in some of the warm milk (110 – 115 degrees) with a tablespoon of sugar. Great questions.
Jennifer
That braid is beautiful! I need to learn your techniques.
Carol
Holy smokes does that look delicious! I love making bread-can’t wait til I can carve out some time to try this one.
Thanks so much Barbara.
Carol
Mercedes
You make it look so easy! I would love some of this for breakfast tomorrow!
Cindy B.
I follow @HodgsonMillInc on Twitter
Cindy B.
I like Hodgson Mill on Facebook