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Once again, it's time for a monthly Improv challenge, hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. If you haven't had a chance to visit Kristen, you should take the time to do so.....not only does she post some great recipes, she has some great stories to tell.
This month our ingredients are Lemon and Sour Cream. As it happens, I was looking longingly at a Braided Lemon Bread recipe on the King Arthur Flour website. After making a few adjustments, I had my January Improv Challenge in the bag! The best part is that while there are a few steps, it's easier to make than it looks.
This recipe starts out by making a sponge--think of it as a big kick-start to your yeast. As King Arthur describes it, this dough is so…
View Full Recipe at The Dutch Baker's Daughter
,%20sour%20cream.%20The%20recipe%20also%20calls%20for%202%20teaspoons%20of%20vanilla%20or%20Buttery%20Sweet%20Dough%20Flavor%20and%20I%20have%20to%20tell%20you,%20that%20Buttery%20Sweet%20Dough%20Flavor%20is%20the%20bomb!%20My%20friend%20DeeDee%20recommended%20it%20to%20me,%20so%20I%20had%20to%20give%20it%20a%20try,%20and%20I'm%20so%20glad%20I%20did.%20It%20made%20the%20dough%20taste%20like%20it%20came%20from%20a%20bakery.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELet%20me%20just%20share%20a%20couple%20of%20hints%20when%20working%20with%20this%20dough%20(with%20any%20dough,%20really).%20First,%20if%20you%20measure%20your%20flour%20in%20measuring%20cups,%20spoon%20it%20lightly%20into%20the%20cup%20and%20level%20it%20off.%20Start%20with%20the%20minimum%20amount%20called%20for%20in%20the%20recipe...you%20can%20always%20add%20more.%20If%20you%20do%20add%20more,%20add%20it%20a%20tablespoon%20at%20a%20time%20until%20the%20dough%20is%20the%20consistency%20that%20you%20want.%20This%20time%20you%20are%20looking%20for%20a%20soft%20dough,%20so%20if%20it's%20a%20bit%20sticky,%20no%20worries.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOften,%20when%20you%20read%20a%20dough%20recipe,%20it%20calls%20for%20you%20to%20%22punch%20it%22%20down%20after%20it%20has%20risen.%20I'm%20guilty%20of%20using%20those%20words,%20myself.%20These%20directions%20call%20for%20you%20to%20%22gently%20deflate%22%20the%20dough,%20which%20really%20makes%20much%20more%20sense.%20Why%20rip%20into%20those%20delicate%20cells%20of%20yeast?%20Gentle%20is%20the%20way%20to%20go.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20the%20zest%20of%20one%20lemon%20to%203/4%20cup%20sugar.%20Cream%20this%20mixture%20with%201/4%20cup%20softened%20butter.%20Add%202%20eggs%20and%201%20egg%20yolk,%20one%20at%20a%20time,%20beating%20until%20light%20and%20fluffy.%20Beat%20in%201/3%20cup%20lemon%20juice%20and%20a%20dash%20of%20salt.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPlace%20the%20lemon%20mixture%20in%20a%20medium-sized%20heavy%20saucepan%20and%20heat%20over%20low%20heat,%20stirring%20constantly,%20until%20mixture%20just%20comes%20to%20a%20simmer%20and%20starts%20to%20thicken%20(about%2010%20minutes).%20Remove%20from%20heat,%20cover%20and%20chill%20until%20needed.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou'll%20have%20more%20lemon%20curd%20than%20you'll%20need%20for%20the%20recipe...just%20keep%20it%20refrigerated%20and%20use%20it%20on%20toast,%20or%20waffles,%20or%20pancakes,%20or%20crackers,%20a%20spoon.....%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow%20you're%20ready%20to%20make%20your%20braid.%EF%BB%BF%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20we're%20making%20here%20is%20called%20a%20%22faux%20braid%22.%20Although,%20it%20looks%20fancy%20when%20it's%20done,%20it's%20really%20quite%20a%20simple%20procedure.%20Just%20roll%20out%20the%20dough%20into%20a%2010%22x16%22%20rectangle.%20The%20recipe%20suggests%20doing%20this%20on%20parchment%20paper,%20but%20I%20just%20love%20my%20silicone%20mat%20for%20this.%20The%20dough%20was%20easy%20to%20roll%20without%20even%20adding%20any%20additional%20flour.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow%20just%20lightly%20press%20two%20lines%20down%20each%20side%20of%20the%20dough%20(making%20three%20equal%20divisions).%20You'll%20then%20spread%20the%20cream%20cheese%20mixture%20down%20the%20middle%20and%20top%20that%20with%20lemon%20curd.%20Cut%20strips%20on%20each%20side%20of%20the%20filling%20(making%20sure%20you%20have%20the%20same%20amount%20on%20both%20sides).%20Starting%20from%20the%20left,%20bring%20one%20strip%20of%20the%20dough%20over%20the%20filling%20diagonally.%20Repeat%20on%20the%20other%20side,%20so%20that%20the%20strips%20overlap%20and%20continue%20down%20the%20entire%20braid%20until%20you%20have%20your%20formed%20loaf.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20looks%20a%20little%20like%20a%20mummy%20at%20this%20point,%20no?%20The%20nice%20part%20about%20using%20the%20silicone%20mat%20is%20that%20you%20can%20just%20transfer%20the%20whole%20thing%20over%20to%20a%20baking%20sheet%20and%20bake.%20Just%20brush%20a%20little%20egg%20wash%20over%20the%20top,%20and%20sprinkle%20with%20some%20pearl%20sugar.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20sour%20cream%20was%20a%20great%20addition%20to%20the%20dough--it%20was%20very%20soft,%20and%20it%20stayed%20that%20way%20for%20a%20couple%20of%20days.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou%20can%20see%20what%20I%20did%20with%20my%20extra%20curd.%20:)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20was%20so%20happy%20with%20the%20results%20of%20this%20recipe%20that%20I'm%20going%20to%20be%20making%20it%20with%20different%20fillings.%20Cherries?%20Blueberries?%20Apples?%20Yes,%20yes%20and%20yes!%20I%20also%20am%20thinking%20that,%20with%20a%20few%20changes,%20I%20can%20make%20this%20into%20a%20savory%20braid.%20What%20kind%20of%20filling%20would%20you%20like%20to%20see?%3C/p%3E){kind=link}