Sweet Bread with Cheese Filling
Easter Recipes Desserts Cheese Oven Recipes Slovenian
A huge, huge success. Extra fluffy crumb with just a little filling - but very aromatic. With an unusual ingredient, of course, otherwise it wouldn't be me if I didn't give my testers some excitement. The surprise ingredient is typical of Slovenia, where they use tarragon in cheese desserts. Just like in Hungary they have a sweet cheese tart with dill! I've already tried it and I assure you it's delicious too.
How interesting, this recipe belongs to a family from Slovenia, it was sent by email to someone who transcribed it, it reached me and from me to you. I don't even know those people and yet I'm happy their traditional recipe will always remain in my thoughts. What a wonder the internet is...
Let me tell you what my most trusted tasters had to say.
My brother: "I want another piece."
My sister-in-law: "This is the first cozonac where I prefer the crumb to the crust."
My mom: "Mmmmm, the tarragon fits, you could have added more. And the crumb is fluffy... your grandmother says that's how a successful cozonac should be, like a sponge. You could use it for cheese pies too."
Radu: "Give me another slice and pour me a glass of milk."
My dad: "You know I don't eat sweets (ha, so you can see who I take after) but cut me a thin slice to see what you're all marveling at."
And so we ate it warm, I didn't even get to photograph it, the next day I made another one just for you.
Ingredients
500g all-purpose flour (type BL55 / 550)
75g sugar
grated zest from 1/4 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 packet dry yeast (about 7g)
2 eggs
100ml sour cream/fermented cream (25% fat)
150ml warm milk
25ml oil
25ml rum
Filling
250g farmer's cheese (or ricotta)
100ml heavy cream (any fat content from 15% - 35%)
1 small egg
1 packet vanilla sugar
3 level tablespoons powdered sugar
grated zest from 1/4 lemon
1 tablespoon rum
2-3 chopped tarragon sprigs (about 4g tarragon leaves)
For glazing
1 small egg
2 tablespoons milk
Yield: 1 loaf (approximately 1.2 kg)
How to prepare sweet bread with cheese filling
- All ingredients for the dough should be at room temperature, and warm the milk slightly until lukewarm.
Beat the eggs with sour cream, milk, oil and rum. Put them in the bread machine, then add in order: yeast, sugar, flour, grated lemon zest and salt. Set the machine to the knead+rise program. You'll get an exceptionally fluffy, elastic dough that's very pleasant to work with. - Mix all the filling ingredients except the cream. Then gradually add the cream until you get a spreadable paste that holds on the spoon. The amount of cream varies depending on whether your cheese is drier or creamier.
- Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. It may be slightly sticky so put enough flour on the surface so it doesn't stick when rolling.
- With a thin rolling pin, roll the dough into a sheet 1-1.5 cm thick.
- Spread the filling over the dough. Fold up the long edges and then roll lengthwise.
- Place the roll in a greased loaf pan (my pan is 30 x 10 cm but slightly larger works too, mine was at the limit). Put the pan in a bag and let it rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Brush the bread with egg beaten with milk.
- Bake at 180°C for 45-50 minutes (rotate the pan halfway through baking; it may crack slightly on the side due to the filling).
- Remove hot from the pan and let it cool completely (if you can resist!), then slice.
The risen dough in the bread machine
The dough on the work surface
The thin sheet of dough
The dough spread with cheese filling
The bread in the pan
After 30 minutes it has risen
Baked sweet bread
