Braided Bread

5 from 8 votes

This sweet braided bread recipe is filled with lemon curd and cream cheese for a stunning treat. Try this easy sweet braided bread today!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Brunch, Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Breads, Appetizers, bread twist, frozen dough, dessert, bread braid, lemon bread, Stuffed bread braid

Servings: servings

Calories: 344kcal

Prepare the filling by mixing the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour in a large bowl. Stir until smooth.
Roll room temperature dough into a rectangle shape about 9” by 12.” Using a bench scraper or ruler, make 2 equal indentations down the dough lengthwise in about 3” apart (see photos). The middle section is where you will evenly spread the cheese filling, leaving 1” spacing without cheese filling at the top and bottom.
Using your ruler and bench scraper or knife, make 1” indentation strips down the two sides next to the filling. Notch out the corners (as shown) above the first strip on all four sides. Top with the lemon curd, smoothing it level.

To make the braids, fold down the top flap up over the filling. Then, take the top right strip, and bring it over to the center of the filing at an angle and lightly press down. Do the same with the left side in a crisscross, repeating the process until you get close to the bottom of the cream cheese bread braid. Fold up the bottom tab, and cross the last strips under the bread loaf.Fold up the bottom tab, and cross the last strips under the bread loaf.
Lightly cover the sweet bread braid and let rise until puffy. This will take about 45 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. In a small bowl, mix the egg with 2 teaspoons of water, then brush egg wash on top of the bread braid. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Keep frozen dough in your freezer, so it is ready when you need it. Everyone loves freshly baked rolls or this stuffed braided bread, and it is so handy to pull out a few rolls out for dinner. Or when you need to make a showstopper bread twist or braid for a holiday event like Easter.
Chill the dough slightly before cutting and braiding to make it easier to handle. A chilled dough holds its shape better, resulting in a neater braid.
To make your own lemon curd, I recommend this Easy Lemon Curd recipe.

Recipe Variations:

Berry lemon braid: Add a layer of fresh or frozen berries (like blueberries or raspberries) spoon on top of the lemon curd and cream cheese for extra flavor. Make a swirl drizzle on top with powder sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or water.
Citrus twist: Swap the lemon curd for orange or lime curd for a different citrusy spin.
Nutty delight: Sprinkle chopped almonds or salt pecans over the filling for added crunch.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour's Lemon Braided Bread recipe.

Storing Instructions:

Wrap the baked and cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven for freshness.
You can prepare and braid the dough a day ahead, then refrigerate it overnight. Let it come to room temperature before baking.