Folded and filled with homemade Strawberry Jam and fresh Strawberry then baked until puff-up and flaky, this Baked Braided Strawberry Puff Pastry is a treat that is always welcome on my table anytime of the day, even breakfast! Bring it on!

Having a puff pastry on hand is one of the best thing that you can keep in your freezer. It’s very versatile and can be used for both sweet and savory dish and treats. From simple Puff Pastry Croissant to Ham and Cheese Pie to this Braided Puff Pastry Bread. I have an obsession and sort of fascination with braided puff pastry bread. I’ve made this couple of times with different filling, although chocolate is my favorite, fruit filled braided puff pastry bread is not far behind specially when I am in the groove for Summer baking. This is one treat that I don’t mind opening my oven even during the Summer. It’s quite flexible, and there are so many variations that you can make. Of course my favorite is always the sweet version but savory braided puff pastry is also something that I look forward to making. Like the one filled with scrambled egg and mushroom, oh was so good, I regretted not taking a photo of it. But no worries, I plan to share it in my blog too. But today today is about this sweet variation, Strawberry. Strawberry is in season and I’m always crazy about using fresh Summer fruits for baking.

I consider this a a huge batch, one long 8-inch log that could be shared between 4 people, or 3 if you want to be really generous in the serving. This recipe is kind of flexible, and it uses only very few ingredients.

What are the Ingredients for Braided Strawberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry?

• Cream Cheese – I used original full fat cream cheese in box, but you can also use low fat cream cheese. I think the cream cheese spread in the tub will work too, I had used it before when I made my Peach Danish and it worked just as great.
• Sugar – for sweetness and also to help thin out the consistency of the cream cheese.
• Strawberry Jam – I made my own jam, but you can use store bought too. I like using homemade jam because it is less sweet and has more Strawberry than sugar. Get the recipe HERE
• Chopped Strawberry – I like mixing Strawberry Jam and fresh chopped Strawberry for a nice texture. But you can use all Jam, or all fresh strawberry. If doing so, just toss the Strawberry in 1 tablespoon cornstarch to help thicken the juice as it bakes.
• Puff Pastry – I’m using a store-bought puff pastry because this requires less work. The size and thickness are already perfect and the only thing left to do is to unroll it. If you like to make your own puff pastry, I have the recipe HERE
• Egg – this is just for the egg wash, to give the bread nice browning and shiny top. If you don’t want to crack an egg, you can skip brushing the top with egg wash. You can use milk or cream instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 roll Puff Pastry (Homemade or Store-Bought)
• 4 tablespoon Cream Cheese
• 1 tablespoon granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Strawberry Jam ( Homemade or Store-Bought)
• 1/3 cup diced Strawberry
• 1/3 cup Icing Sugar
• 4 teaspoon Water or Milk

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Cream Cheese and Sugar  Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cream cheese until smooth and light.
3. Create the Strips: Unroll the puff pastry. Store-bought puff-pastry could vary in size and shape. The aim is to have 3 sections. The middle which will contain the filling and the sides for braiding and folding. If making your own puff-pastry, roll to about 1/4-inch thick and about 9 x9 inch size, or 10 x 10 if you want to stretch it a bit.
4. Spread the Filling: Spread the cream cheese filling in the center, followed by the Strawberry Jam and lastly, fresh sliced Strawberry.
5. Braid: Starting at the top, fold the first strip on the left over the strawberry cream cheese filling. Make cuts about 1” apart on both sides of the filling. Braid the pastry by alternately stretching the pastry strips from side to side over the filling. Repeat, alternating on both sides until the filling is covered and all strips have been crossed. Fold the flaps on the top and the bottom of the pastry over strips to fully encase the filling.
6. Chill: Wrap with the parchment paper and freeze for at least 15 minutes or while the oven is still pre-heating. You can use the parchment paper that wraps the puff pastry to avoid tearing it from transferring. The puff pastry will get soft so it will start to stick to the paper.
7. Egg wash: In a small bowl, beat together egg and water to make an egg wash. Lightly brush the pastry with the egg wash until coated.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until puffy pastry is risen and golden. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
9. Make the Sugar Glaze: Mix water and icing sugar until smooth. To adjust the consistency, simply reduce or add more water.
10. Serve: Top with powdered sugar or sugar glaze and sliced strawberries.

Serves 4

Nutritional Information

Nutritional Information was calculated using Veryfitwell Recipe Calorie and Nutrition Calculator. For details about Nutritional Information in this website, please read the Disclaimer page.

My Latest Video

Featured Posts:

• Cinnamon Glazed Apple Turnover
• Apple Hand Pie
• Apple Danish
• Mini Chocolate Puff Pastry Croissant
• 2 Ingredients Nutella Puff Pastry Croissant
• Bite Size Pigs in a Blanket
• Garlic and Parmesan Puff Pastry Bites
• Margherita Puff Pastry Bites

Thank You for visiting my website. Please don’t forget to click the “Like” button below if you like this recipe. Lastly, did you know that I have a YouTube Channel? Please support my channel by clicking on the “Subscribe” button in my video and the “Bell” icon to get notification of new videos.

FOLLOW SWEETNSPICYLIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube