Recipes > Meyer Lemon Danish Braid Find A Store Meyer Lemon Danish Braid Flaky and light, this sweet yeasted bread bakes up golden and fluffy with a blissful cream cheese-Meyer lemon curd filling. Assemble ahead and bake in the morning for a scrumptious breakfast treat! Yield 14 servings Print Recipe Pin Recipe 1 Reviews IngredientsSponge6 tablespoons (90g) low fat milk1 teaspoon granulated sugar1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast2 tablespoons (17g) all-purpose flourDough1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar4 ounces (113g) reduced fat cream cheese, softened3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, softened3/4 teaspoon table salt1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 large egg (room temperature)2 1/4 cups (315g) all-purpose flour, dividedFilling3 ounces (85g) reduced fat cream cheese, softened2 tablespoons (24g) granulated sugarPinch of table salt1 teaspoon Meyer lemon juice1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/3 cup (75g) Meyer Lemon CurdGlaze1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugarPinch of salt1/2 tablespoon (7g) unsalted butter, melted1/2 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice InstructionsMake the sponge: heat milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for about 45 seconds, until very warm (120-130°F). Whisk together warm milk, sugar, yeast, and flour in a medium bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.Make the dough: combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla, egg, and sponge in a large mixer bowl fitted with a paddle; beat at medium speed for 1 minute until combined. Add 2 cups (280 g) flour and mix in at low speed until a soft dough forms, about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch out the paddle for a dough hook, and knead dough for 4 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1/4 cup (35 g) of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent dough from sticking. The dough is ready when it feels tacky but doesn't stick to your fingers.Place dough in a large bowl coated with nonstick spray and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 50 to 60 minutes. To check if dough has doubled, lightly flour two fingers and press them down into center of dough. If indentations remain, dough has risen enough.Prepare the filling. Combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, Meyer lemon juice, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Gently punch down dough and roll out into a 12×15-inch rectangle on prepared baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread cream cheese mixture down the center of the dough, leaving a 4-inch border on each side and a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Spread Meyer lemon curd over the cream cheese filling. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut 15 1-inch strips on both sides of dough (be careful not to cut parchment paper). Remove the four corner strips and fold top border down over filling. Work from top to bottom and fold strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally (begin by folding over the top left strip, then fold the top right strip, then a left strip, and so on). When all the strips are folded over filling, fold up the bottom border and press to seal. Cover braid loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 25 minutes. ( To prepare ahead: After braid rests, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking).Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake braid until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before glazing. Prepare the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, salt, melted butter, Meyer lemon zest, and juice in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over braid and let set before serving. NotesRecipe by Tutti Dulci. Did you make this recipe? We want to see it! Tag @redstaryeast and use hashtag #redstaryeast
