Strawberries & Cream Pullapart
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 50 minutes plus 2 hours rising time
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8
- 2 3/4 cups/410g/14.4ozs all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs water
- 1/4 cup/55g/2ozs. caster or granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup/185ml/6flozs milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, soft
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dried instant yeast
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs cream, warmed
Strawberry Filling
- 180g/6ozs cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup/160g/5.6ozs strawberry jam
- 1 cup/160g/5.6ozs diced strawberries
Strawberry Frosting
- 160g/5.6ozs icing or powdered sugar
- 40g/1.4ozs cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup/40g/1.4ozs strawberries, finely diced
Step 1 - Line a large loaf tin with baking parchment (mine was 27x9x7cms or 10.6x3.5x2.7inches). First make the tangzhong roux. Take 25g/1oz of the total weight of flour and whisk it with half a cup of water and put it on low to medium heat whisking to allow to become a smooth roux. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and salt.
Step 2 - Fit your mixer with the beater attachment and add the remaining flour, yeast and roux and mix. Knead on low speed for 10-15 minutes until you get the windowpane effect where you can prise apart the dough with your hands and almost see through it without it breaking. Scrape the sides of the bowl and roll the dough into a ball without any cracks on top. Grease the bowl and place the ball of dough back in the bowl and cover with cling film. Rest for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Step 3 - While it is rising prepare the strawberry filling. Mix the cream cheese and strawberry jam together in a food processor and set aside. Dice the fresh strawberries and set aside.
Step 4 - When the dough is ready, flour a clean surface. Punch down the dough and roll out into as large a rectangle as possible - mine was around 40x30cms (15x12inches). Trim the sides so that you get a rectangle shape. Cut into five even long strips and then spread with the cream cheese mixture and then scatter with strawberries. Stack all of the strips on top of each other strawberry side up.
Step 5 - Now measure your tin and then cut the long strips into four of five stacks and then place them in the tin vertically (as shown). Don't have them in too tight. The dough will expand quite a bit so you want some gap at the front and sides of the tin for when it expands when baking. Set aside in a warm place for its second proof/rise for 30-45 minutes.
Step 6 - Preheat oven to 170C/338F. Pour the warm cream over the top of the risen dough. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Check the loaf after 25 minutes and if it is browning too much, cover with foil. Turn it around in the oven so that it browns evenly. Cool in the tin and then remove and place on a plate.
Step 7 - Make the frosting. Place the icing sugar in a food processor and blitz until all lumps disappear. Add the cream cheese and pulse to create a frosting. Then add the strawberries and pulse to mash them. Spoon the frosting on top of the bread. Serve this in leaves slicing off sections as desired. Store in the fridge.