Braided Lemon Bread Recipes

BRAIDED LEMON BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 10 - 15 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the prepared sponge along with the yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.
• Place the kneaded dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 60 - 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled.
• While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids.
• Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10 x15 inch rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much easier. Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling.
• To form the braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the cut dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf.
• Repeat the rolling, filling and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 - 50 minutes or until quite puffy.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the egg, 2 teaspoons water and pinch of salt. Brush the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
• Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown. (If you find the braids are browning too quickly, lower the temperature slightly.) Remove from the oven and cool for 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

LEMON RING BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, yeast, salt, zest and 4 1/2 cups of the flour. Set aside.
• Melt the butter and add to the cold milk in the bowl of a stand mixer, then whisk in the sour cream, extracts and 2 of the eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment until a rough dough forms. Switch to the dough hook or knead by hand until the dough is very smooth and soft, about 8 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and add the dough. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm room and allow to double in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment and roll into a rough 10-by-26-inch rectangle. Fold over the dough on the short sides toward the middle like you were folding a really long letter, then open the dough back up so that there are creases in the dough, dividing it into three.
• Spread or pipe the Cream Cheese Filling to fill the middle section within the creases, then top with the Microwave Lemon Curd.
• Using a sharp paring knife, cut the exposed dough on either side of the middle filling into 1-inch-wide bands. Cross one band over the filling on a slight diagonal and then cross the opposite band over the first. Continue crisscrossing all the bands. Gently shape the braided dough into a round, sealing together the ends. Beat the remaining egg together with 1 tablespoon water, then use this egg wash as "glue" to keep the ends together. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to almost double in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling or Swedish pearl sugar. Bake until just golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature before eating.
• Mix together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, egg, zest and salt with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• Transfer 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice to a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and stir until combined; set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, salt, eggs, lemon zest and remaining 14 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Microwave the curd mixture on high for 3 minutes. Stir the curd, then microwave for 3 minutes more. Stir again, then microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and check to see whether the curd coats the back of a wooden spoon, has thickened in the bowl and the temperature reads 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. If not, zap again, a minute at a time, until you reach the right consistency. This should not take longer than 10 minutes.
• Stir the softened gelatin into the still-warm curd until well incorporated. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 1 hour.
• Adapted from "Fantastical Cakes" by Gesine Bullock-Prado © Running Press Adult 2018. Provided courtesy of Gesine Bullock-Prado. All rights reserved.

GLAZED LEMON BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 1 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the lemon peel. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Blend the flour mixture into the egg mixture, alternately with the milk; stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
• In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar in the lemon juice. After loaf has cooled for 10 minutes, spoon glaze over loaf.

LEMON BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients; immediately drizzle over bread. Serve warm.