Pumpkin Cheesecake Braid
 
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • ½ cup (120 grams) warm whole milk (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) warm water (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)
  • 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature and lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2¼ teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
  • 2¾ cups (344 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1¾ teaspoons (5.25 grams) kosher salt
  • Filling:
  • 2 ounces (57 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (61 grams) canned pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (8 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (50 grams), lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water
  • Crumb Topping (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: confectioners’ sugar, if desired
Instructions
  1. For dough: Assemble Ankarsrum mixer with stainless steel bowl and roller/scraper. Place warm milk, ¼ cup (60 grams) warm water, egg, melted butter, yeast, and vanilla in bowl. With roller resting on rim of bowl, beat at medium speed (3 o’clock) until combined, about 1 minute.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and salt. With mixer on lowest setting (12 o’clock), gradually add flour mixture to warm milk mixture. Increase mixer speed to medium-low (between 2 and 3 o’clock), and beat until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, lock arm in place about ½ inch from side, and set timer for 10 minutes to knead, stopping to scrape sides of bowl about halfway through mixing. Adjust arm to 1 inch from side, and set timer for 5 minutes to knead, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. (Dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic and pass the windowpane test; see Notes.)
  3. Gather dough into a ball, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. Punch down dough; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16x10½-inch rectangle (about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick), and place on parchment paper. Reroll and stretch dough to correct dimensions, if needed.
  5. For filling: In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, pie spice, and vanilla; whisk until well combined.
  6. Mark dough lengthwise so rectangle is divided into thirds; spread pumpkin mixture evenly within middle third, leaving a 1-inch border on each short end. Using a bench scraper, cut away a 1-inch thick rectangle from each corner, leaving center tabs the width of filling; fold tabs over filling. Cut same number of 1-inch-wide strips along each side of filling. Starting on left side, fold 1 strip over filling, ending just below opposite strip. Repeat with strip on right side. Continue pattern, alternating left and right, until you reach end of strips. Tie, tuck, and pinch last strip. Transfer parchment and braided dough to a rimmed baking sheet stacked on top of a second baking sheet. (See Notes.) Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and dough holds an indentation when poked, about 45 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with Crumb Topping.
  9. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 25 to 30 minutes, loosely covering with foil during final 5 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Notes
To use the windowpane test to check dough for proper gluten development, lightly flour hands and pinch off (don’t tear) a small piece of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it’s thin and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not quite ready. Beat for 1 minute, and test again.


Double-panning slows heat conduction, allowing the bottom of the bread to maintain a beautiful light golden-brown color. This braid can also be baked on a single baking sheet but may have a deeper golden-brown bottom.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://staging.bakefromscratch.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-braid/