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Cream cheese bread, Bread, Cream cheese

Cream cheese bread

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Cream cheese bread isa soft, slightly sweet yeast bread enriched with cream cheese for a tender texture and rich flavour. This is baked until golden with a glossy egg-washed crust.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proofing time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 1 loaf
Author sumisculinarynotes

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • 20 g bread flour
  • 100 ml milk

Dough

  • All the tangzhong
  • 320 g bread flour
  • 40 g sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 90-110 ml lukewarm milk
  • 60 g cream cheese softened
  • 30 g unsalted butter softened

Egg wash* see notes

  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

Make the tangzhong

  • In a small saucepan, whisk 20 g flour and 100 ml milk.
    20 g bread flour, 100 ml milk
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a pudding-like paste (about 65°C / 149°F if measuring). Remove from heat and cool.

Mix the dough

  • In a mixing bowl combine bread flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
    320 g bread flour, 40 g sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp instant yeast
  • Add tangzhong, egg and cream cheese.
    All the tangzhong, 1 egg, 60 g cream cheese
  • Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and mix until a dough forms.
    90-110 ml lukewarm milk
  • Knead for 8–10 minutes (or 5–7 minutes with a mixer) until smooth and elastic.
  • Gradually knead in the softened butter, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
    30 g unsalted butter
  • Continue kneading for another 3–5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl.
  • Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60–90 minutes.

Shape

  • Punch down the dough and shape into a loaf. Place in a greased loaf pan.
  • Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes until puffy.

Egg wash

  • Lightly beat an egg with milk or water and brush it over the top of the dough for a shiny, golden crust.
    1 Egg, 1 tbsp milk

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  • Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
  • Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
  • Cool before slicing.

Notes

*For the egg wash, reserve a small portion of the egg before adding the rest to the dough. Mix the reserved egg with a little milk and use it to brush the bread before baking.
Use bread flour for the fluffiest texture.
Room-temperature cream cheese blends more smoothly.
For sweeter bread, increase sugar to 50–60 g.
Storage
Room temperature: 2–3 days
Freeze slices up to 2 months.