This braided challah with lemon cream cheese swirl is soft, slightly sweet, and filled with creamy citrus flavor—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacking!
This braided challah with a lemon cream cheese swirl is a fun twist on the classic Challah loaf. The soft, pillowy bread is filled with a sweet and tangy cream cheese mixture that adds just the right amount of lemon flavor. It’s the kind of bake that feels a little special but is still simple enough for a weekend project—perfect for brunch, dessert, or enjoying with a cup of coffee. It also makes great French Toast!
Why You’ll Love It:
- Simple: Don’t let the yeast and braided braid fool you—this recipe is surprisingly simple for home bakers (and no special tool are needed!).
- Impressive: A delicious and beautiful twist on traditional challah with a creamy, lemony swirl that is sure to impress.
- Delicious: Soft, fluffy bread meets sweet, tangy lemon cream cheese—what’s not to love (seriously, my husband can’t stop eating it!).
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Make sure the flour is weighed or measured using the spoon and level method so you don’t get too much in the recipe.
- Lemon Zest: You can also use 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract in place of the lemon zest. You can also do other citrus like lime or oranges!
- Cream Cheese: I recommend brick cream cheese, but you can use whatever you have on hand including light.
- Oil: Neutral oil like Canola or Vegetable oil work best.
- Yeast: You can use either Instant Yeast or Active Yeast. If using Instant Yeast and you know it fresh, you can skip blooming the yeast and simple add the yeast into the flour along with the salt.
How to Make
Step 1: Make Dough
Bloom Yeast: If you’re using active dry yeast, add the yeast to warm water along with 1/2 tsp of sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes. The mixture should bubble up and get frothy, if it doesn’t then the yeast is dead and you’ll need new yeast.
Mix Dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixture, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Make an indent in the middle, this is where you’ll be adding the other ingredient. Add the eggs and oil in the the well of the center of the flour. Mix together with a fork until it gets gummy. Then, add the water yeast mixture and mix using a spatula until the flour has combined but the dough is still very wet.
Kneed: If using a standing mixer, use the dough hook and kneed for about 6-8 minutes on medium low until the dough is smooth. If necessary, add more flour 1 tbsp at a time until the dough is no longer super sticky, but barely tacky to the touch. If not using a mixer, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed by hand for the 6-8 minutes, adding additional flour as needed.
Let Rise: Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let rise for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Step 2: Make Cream Cheese Filling
Mix Ingredients: Using a standing mixer or a hand held mixer with in a medium bowl, beat together all the ingredients until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Braid
Roll Dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Spread the lemon cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges so it doesn’t spill out when rolling. Then, slowly roll the dough into a long thick rope. You’ll want to try and get it as tightly rolled as possible. And make sure you roll the long side, rather than the short side.
Braid: Once rolled, transfer the roll to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut down the middle of the roll, leaving about 1-2 inches at the top in tact to you can braid. Then, carefully braid the two piece, trying to keep the swirl at the top if possible. It’s okay if it’s kind of messy, it makes the bread look really nice once it’s baked.
Second Rise: Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30-60 minutes until pillowy. While rising, preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Once the dough has risen and is ready to bake, brush the challah with the remaining egg white mixture.
Step 4: Bake
Add Egg Wash: Once the dough has risen and is ready to bake, brush the challah with the remaining egg white mixture.
Bake: Then, bake in the middle rack in the pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the middle reaches about 190 ℉ degrees with a thermometer. Then, once down, remove from oven, let cool, slice and enjoy!
Fun Variations
- Try using other citrus like orange or lime for different citrus flavors. You can use this method of braiding the Challah with any type of filling like Nutella, strawberry filling, Cinnamon Sugar, lemon curd, Etc.
- You can do fun colors like the below brightly braided bread. Simply divide the cream cheese mixture into different colors, spread the long way on the rolled challah, and then roll and slice as normal:
FAQ
This could be due to inactive yeast, a cold environment, or not enough time to rise—make sure your yeast is fresh and your kitchen is warm enough.
You can tell if the yeast is alive by proofing it, which is the process of adding the yeast and some sugar to warm water and allowing it to bubble. If it doesn’t bubble and get frothy, the yeast has died and your dough will not turn out.
Yup! Just mix it into the flour along with the sugar and salt. There is no need to proof or bloom it (provided it is alive and not dead).
While I haven’t tried it, I’ve read you can make the dough the day before, let it rise and then keep it in the refrigerator until ready to roll out. Just let it come to room temperature before rolling.
Absolutely! Let the baked challah cool completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Storing and Making Ahead
Once the challah has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay soft and fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it—just wrap it well in plastic and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy later, thaw at room temperature, then warm in the oven for a few minutes if desired.
Braided Challah with Cream Cheese Swirl
INGREDIENTS
Challah Bread
- 2 tsp yeast active dry or instant
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ½ tsp sugar
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 562, plus more for dusting and kneading
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt or 1 tsp table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk reserve egg white for egg wash
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Lemon Cream Cheese Spread
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Warm 1 cup of water for about 5-10 seconds in the microwave. You want it to be lukewarm. Then, sprinkle the yeast and ½ tsp sugar top, stirring until it dissolves.
- Let stand about 10 minutes. It should be very bubbly and frothy on top. If this doesn’t happen, that means the yeast has gone bad and the recipe will not work.
- Whisk or sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, making a little dip in the middle. Add the eggs to the middle and mix with a fork, like making homemade paste.
- Then, add the yeast mixture and mix everything combined. It will be very sticky and thick.
- Using the dough attachment of your standing mixer knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. You can also knead by hand on a floured surface. If the dough is sticky add more flour one tablespoon at a time (depending on how sticky your dough is) until it is somewhat tacky to the touch but not so sticky that it stays all over your finger if you touch it.
- Once it is fully combined, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and/or a towel. Set it in the sun or someplace warm and let it rise one and half to two hours, until it has just about doubled in size.
- While it’s rising, you can make the lemon cream cheese spread by adding the cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon, and vanilla to a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 12 by 16 inch rectangle.
- Using a spatula or knife, spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer, leaving about 1/2 inch space around the edges.
- roll the dough tightly on the long side.
- Transfer the rolled dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Take a sharp knife and starting about an inch from the top, cut the roll down the middle. Braid the two pieces, keeping the swirl on top if possible.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for another 30-60 minutes until soft and pillowy.
- While the dough is resting, Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
- After the dough has rested again, make an egg white wash by mixing an egg white and 1 tbps water. Using a pastry brush or spoon, cover the dough in the egg white wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until a thermometer reads 190 when placed in the middle of the loaf.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest until barely warm. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- If using Instant Yeast, you can mix it in with the flour, sugar, and salt. Just make sure it’s not dead or the loaf will be wasted.
- This bread will stay fresh for up to three days in an airtight container and can be frozen up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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