Cream Cheese Brioche
Enjoy these cream cheese brioche that nestle a creamy and citrus cream cheese filling in the centers. The buttery brioche is perfect with the note of freshness and creaminess from the sugared cream cheese.
This post was originally published on April 4, 2017 and is now updated with new photos and some tweaking in the recipe.
I enjoy the over all process of baking bread right from the kneading, proofing and up to the part when the house is filled with the sweet and buttery smell of bread baking in the oven. These cream cheese brioche are no exception.
What sets the brioche apart from others is that they so rich in egg and butter that when they are baking, the smell is just wonderful it makes you feel like you are in a bakeshop.
These cream cheese brioche are basic brioche buns that I use for the ensaymada. I love this recipe so much because I find it simple and easy to follow.
Remember…
As I always say about making brioche, lengthy instruction may seem complex and intimidating. The truth is, in this recipe, the work is done by the heavy duty mixer. The instructions are long, yes. But when you look close enough, the most work you have to do is measuring out the ingredients. Half the time is just spent waiting for the dough to rise, and then the over all kneading is done by the machine.
My wish is that you look past the complex looking recipe, and just go right to baking these cream cheese brioche. I assure you that once you take out these brioche out of the oven , you’d be so glad you did.
The Brioche Making
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast, ⅓ cup warm milk ( 110 F), 1 egg and 1 cup of flour. Use a rubber spatula to combine them.
Once combined, sprinkle remaining ½ cup of flour on top of the yeast mixture to cover (Do not stir) . Let this stand untouched for 40 minutes. After that time, the flour should develop some cracks on the surface.
Now add 4 lightly beaten eggs, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. Stir everything with your wooden spoon until incorporated. Add the flour gradually while stirring, until the dough gathers in the center of the bowl. You may have a little bit of flour left.
Using a dough hook, run the heavy-duty mixer on medium high speed to knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. The dough should start to gather in the center of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky and not gathering, sprinkle the remaining flour gradually, and add up to ¼ cup of flour extra as needed.
An indication that the dough is ready is when you see it gathering itself into the center of the bowl, and attaching itself into the dough hook. As the mixing progresses, you will see the dough slapping the sides of the bowl.
You are now ready to add the butter. Bit by bit, drop the softened butter into the bowl, letting them mix well after each addition. Now at this stage, the dough which has gathered beautifully earlier, will start to fall apart again.
Butter Tips
It is important that the butter is at room temperature upon adding them. They should be soft enough to blend in to the dough but not too soft that they are warm and greasy. I like to smear them or smash them with my fingers as I add them bit by bit. That way, they are just soft enough to blend in as you throw them in pieces to the dough.
Continue beating and you will see the dough gather again, and make the slapping sounds once more. This should take about five minutes. At this stage, you will have a shiny, sticky and smooth dough.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap. Chill this in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 12 portions.
Take a ball of dough, Shape them into circle or oval, then flatten them to about ½ inch thickness. Lay them on parchment lined, large baking sheets (you need two). Have about 2-3 inches of space in between.
Let them rise for 2 hours. After that, create a well in the center using your fingers, about 2 thumbs sizes. Spoon or pour the cream cheese filling in the well. Brush the edges with egg wash. Bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350 F in the preheated oven.
Bake them just until they are done and you will be greatly rewarded with soft and buttery brioche buns that are filled with the luxurious cream cheese.
It is such a joy to see plain and pale dough turn into golden and soft pastries. Then add to that the amazing aroma that lingers around, these cream cheese brioche will delight the baker in you.
So, I hope you try them and love them and make them over and over again!
Here is the recipe. It is a long one, but you can definitely do it. For the love of pastries!
Cream Cheese Brioche
Ingredients
FOR THE BRIOCHE : THE SPONGE
- 1/3 cup (83.33 ml) warm milk 110- 115 ℉
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
FOR THE BRIOCHE: THE DOUGH
- ¼ cup (52.83 g) sugar
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1½ cup (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter softened
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 3/4 cup (179.9 g) softened cream cheese
- 1 cup (126.8 g) icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice or kalamansi juice
- 1/4 cup milk
FOR THE EGG WASH
- 1 egg see note 1 for instructions to make egg wash.
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
Make The Brioche Sponge
- In the bowl of heavy duty mixer, add the yeast, milk, egg and 1 cup all purpose flour. Mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of flour over the top without stirring, as if to cover mixture. Let this stand for about 40-45 minutes. There will be cracks on the flour surface at this point.
- Stir everything well, making sure there is no dry flour left.
Make The Brioche Dough
- Add the sugar, salt, and eggs. Stir everything with your wooden spoon until incorporated. Add the flour gradually while stirring until the dough gathers in the center of the bowl. You may have a little bit of flour left, that's okay.
- Using a dough hook, run the heavy-duty mixer on medium high speed to knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. The dough should start to gather in the center of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky and not gathering, sprinkle the remaining flour gradually, and add up to ¼ cup of flour extra as needed.
- Once the dough is cleaning and slapping the sides of the bowl, you are now ready to add the butter.
- Add the butter bit by bit. Allow every bit of butter to almost incorporate before adding more ( see note 2). When you add the butter, the dough will fall apart again for a moment. Continue to knead until the dough gathers nicely in the center again. This is a shiny, flowy smooth dough.
Chill the Dough and Allow to Rise
- Place the ball of dough into a greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. Allow to rest for about ten minutes. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 12 portions.
- Prepare 2 large baking pans and line them with parchment paper. Shape a dough portion into a smooth ball. Using your palms, flatten the ball into a round disc or oval that is about ½ inch thick. Lay them on the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space in between each assembled dough to allow room for their rising, about 2 -3 inches. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and milk until the cream cheese is broken into soft little bits. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Beat in lemon juice. Refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to use.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE
- We will be baking half of the batch at a time (unless you have 2 ovens), with 6 pieces in each batch of pan.
- When the dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 F. Using your fingers, create an indention in the middle of every risen dough (about two thumbs wide) so that you have a little well to put the filling in. Spoon or pour the filling into every indention, dividing the liquid well among the 12 portions. Brush egg wash on the edges of the brioche dough.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. Enjoy warm. And also take note that the filling may remain hot even the bread is warm enough to handle. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days at room temperature. You can microwave them for 10-12 seconds to warm them up.
Notes
- The Egg Wash. Beat together egg and milk until combined.
- The Softened Butter. Make sure that the butter is at room temperature, but not warm or oily. It should be pretty soft and malleable. It helps to enclose the butter inside a wax paper, press it down using your thumb or beat it with a rolling pin to give it a malleable consistency.
Nutrition
This is a rich yet not sickeningly sweet!
I would like to make this but instead of the cream cheese filling I would like to bake a egg in it as a breakfast. Should I be baking the brioche and then adding the egg part ways through so that the egg doesn’t over bake. Or maybe it’s not possible to do at all
Hi Katie! I think you can put the egg right away 🙂
Hi! I tried this recipe and it came out wonderful! Thankyou!
I am so glad you liked it!
Is it ok to use salted butter?
Hi Vicky! You can use salted butter. Just omit the salt in the dough. Happy Baking!
Hi. I don ‘t have a kitchen machine is t possible to make this dough by hand? Wil this brioche taste as i make them with gryere cheese and ham, or smoked salmon with crème fraiche and some dille instead of the cream cheese filling?
Hi Chantalle! While I have not done this by hand, I can’t see why not. You can definitely make it by hand. Just look for the signs of an adequately kneaded dough as your guide.
And yes, you can definitely fill it with ham and cheese, or the creme fraiche with dill. Those sound really, really yummy!