Ricotta Cream Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients

Braided Bread:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk lukewarm
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, whisked, for brushing on top

Ricotta Poppyseed Filling:

• 1 cup Frigo® Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• ¼ cups orange marmalade
• 1 (1-ounce) container poppy seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Orange Rum Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 orange zest

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour and salt together. In a medium pan, warm the milk up to lukewarm. Turn heat off and add the yeast, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and knead for a few seconds until the dough starts to come together. With the mixer on low, add the butter tablespoon by tablespoon. Scrape the edges of the bowl down and continue to knead the dough about 5-7 minutes (or approximately 10 minutes by hand) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, brush with a bit of oil and allow to proof in a lightly oiled bowl covered with oiled plastic wrap. Place in a warm area of your kitchen and let rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.

For the filling, mix the Frigo® Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese and marmalade until well combined in a bowl. Stir in the poppy seeds, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Keep off to the side until the bread has proofed.

For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, rum and orange zest in a small bowl. Set to the side for the final step.

Once the dough has doubled, knead for one minute quickly. Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a ¼-inch rectangle. Spread with filling onto the dough, leaving a ½ inch around the edge. Starting with the long side, roll up the dough like you would a burrito. Then use a knife to cut down the center, leaving a 2 inch intact piece at the top of the dough, careful not to slice parchment. Take one end in each hand and twist them one over another until the ends meet. Pinch both ends together and tuck underneath the twist. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined sheet pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and then cover the twist with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm space for 30 minutes.

Whisk an egg in a small bowl and brush on top of your twist. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Be sure to check the twist 15 minutes before the end of baking time to make sure it isn’t browning too fast. You can cover lightly with foil to prevent it from burning.

Remove the twist from the oven and let cool slightly. Mix up your glaze just before you pour over your warm bread. Serve promptly.