Tsoureki Danish braid with cream cheese and jam filling
Dimitra's Dishes · ♥ 631 likes · 13K views · 13 min video
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
Proof the yeast: a quarter cup of milk at 110 to 115 degrees with a tablespoon of sugar, two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and a tablespoon of active dry yeast. Leave it seven or eight minutes until bubbly and smelling of yeast.
- ¾ cup milk
Warm three quarters of a cup more milk to lukewarm, about 20 seconds in the microwave — too cold and the yeast takes forever, too hot and it dies.
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Whisk two teaspoons of vanilla and two eggs into the warm milk and set it aside.
- 1 tbsp maklepi
- 720 g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Combine the dry ingredients: 720 grams of all-purpose flour, the tablespoon of maklepi, a cup of granulated sugar and half a teaspoon of salt.
- ¼ tsp mastija
Add the milk and eggs to the yeast mixture, mix the dry ingredients by hand and add everything to the mixer; a quarter teaspoon of ground mastic is optional.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Transfer to a bowl greased with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, toss the dough to coat it, and cover with plastic wrap.
Rise in the warmest part of the house until doubled in volume — about two hours here, four or five hours in a cold house, or a slow rise in the fridge overnight brought back to room temperature.
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 whole egg yolk
For the filling mix soft cream cheese with four tablespoons of granulated sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, optional almond extract and one egg yolk until smooth.
Cream cheese filling
Stretch or roll each half out into a rectangle on a piece of parchment paper, which makes it much easier to transfer later.
With a dough scraper or knife cut the rectangle into thirds lengthways, almost but not all the way through, then cut diagonal slits all the way through the two outer thirds.
- jam
Cross the strips over each other to make the braid, then carefully transfer it on the parchment to the baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 350F and set the braids aside to puff up 30 to 35 minutes — not longer, or they will not hold their shape.
- 2 whole egg yolks
- 2–3 tbsp whole milk
Brush the braids all over with an egg wash of two egg yolks and about two or three tablespoons of whole milk.
- powdered sugar
Bake on the centre rack about 30 minutes, 30 to 35 at the most, then cool completely.
- 1 cup sugar
- 2–3 tbsp whole milk
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- almond extract
Whisk one cup of sugar, two to three tablespoons of whole milk and half a teaspoon of vanilla to a smooth glaze.
Vanilla glaze and tasting