Raspberry Danish Twist Bread

This raspberry twist bread comes together with a rich brioche style dough, raspberry jam, and sweet vanilla icing. The simple way we twist up the dough results in multiple buttery flaky layers. It tastes like a fruity breakfast danish!

Some mornings are for granola bars and some mornings are for THIS.

Welcome to the billionth way to twist up dough and call it breakfast. But unlike all the other sweet rolls on my blog, this melt-in-your-mouth raspberry twist bread combines flaky, crispy, and fruity with buttery, soft, and sweet. A generous drizzle of creamy vanilla icing seeps into every delicious pocket. Sliced warm and served cake-style, this twist impresses everyone who’s lucky enough to steal a taste.

This breakfast bread is texture paradise channeling the flakiness of breakfast danishes but with half the work. How’s it possible? The secret is in the way we twist the dough. And even though that hypnotizing twist looks complicated to replicate, I swear it COULD NOT BE EASIER. And today I’m showing you how. Let’s start with a super quick video tutorial!

Video Tutorial: Raspberry Twist Bread

This Requires a Rich Dough

There are two main types of dough: lean dough and rich dough. We distinguish between the two based on the amount of fat present. Dough that’s prepared with less fat is called lean dough and yields crusty bread like bagels and pizza dough. There’s less fat in these recipes, so they aren’t as soft. Rich dough incorporates fats like eggs, milk, and butter which guarantee a soft and supple dough, one that promises indulgent cinnamon rolls and breakfast pastries. For even more information about baking with yeast be sure to reference my Baking with Yeast Guide before you begin.

Raspberry Twist Bread Ingredients

The dough we’re using for this raspberry bread is a scaled down version of my overnight cinnamon rolls and my Nutella babka. Use the same 7 ingredients that most rich dough requires.

1. Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. For the softest twist bread, use whole milk. Nondairy or low fat milks work too, but whole milk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.


2. Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, your dough might take a little longer to rise. I recommend Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers.


3. Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.


4. Eggs: 2 eggs provide structure, richness, and flavor.


5. Butter: Butter promises tender bread and creates flaky layers. Make sure it’s room temperature.


6. Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness.


7. Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces a chewier twist. There are no other changes to the recipe if you use bread flour.

For today’s raspberry bread, we’ll also use raspberry preserves or jam and fresh raspberries. If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw before using.

What Kind of Yeast to Use?

Behind every great bread dough is a great yeast– it’s simply the workhorse behind this whole recipe. Like usual, I use Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast. Platinum is an instant yeast that builds a stronger, taller, more voluminous dough. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.

Whether you’re a beginner baker or pro, it’s important to understand how yeast works. I urge you to read through my Baking with Yeast Guide where I answer many common yeast questions. I wrote this in partnership with Red Star Yeast, so you can be confident the information is very helpful. I’ve worked with Red Star Yeast for nearly 7 years because it’s my preferred brand!

How to Make Raspberry Twist Bread

Our raspberry twist bread requires 2 rises:

• 1st rise: after the dough is made – 90 minutes


• 2nd rise: after the dough is shaped/twisted – 45 minutes

Here’s an overview of the steps:

1. Make the dough.


2. Knead the dough for 1 minute.


3. Cover the dough and let it rise. The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.


4. Punch down the dough to release the air. At this point you can freeze the dough and save for a raspberry twist bread sort of morning. Or you can shape into a rectangle, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top, roll it up cinnamon roll-style, then slice in half, twist, and coil into a circle. Remember babka? Similar to that.


5. Shape the twist. Watch the video above before continuing with this step. The visual guide will help! The trick is to use a thin layer of jam. The more jam, the bigger mess you’ll need to clean up. I forgot to do it in the video, but for added raspberry goodness– dot a few fresh raspberries on top of the jam.


6. Cover the twist and let it rise. Allow the dough to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes. After this rise, it’ll be big, beautiful, and ready to bake. Sneak more raspberries in there if you can!


7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.


8. Make the vanilla icing. Do this while the twist cools.


9. Drizzle icing, slice, and serve warm!

The Best Pan to Use

We’re baking the raspberry twist bread in a springform pan; its high sides confine the twist so it rises straight up instead of straight out. When finished baking, carefully remove the rim of the springform pan for seamless serving.

No springform pan? No problem! A cast iron skillet with tall sides could work too. We want to make sure the twist maintains its coiled shape!

More Indulgent Breakfast Treats

• Nutella Babka


• Star Bread


• Maple Pecan Sticky Buns


• Croissants


• Glazed Doughnuts


• Cinnamon Rolls


• Iced Raspberry Danish Braid

I live for those pockets of raspberry between the flakes of buttery dough. Don’t you?

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Raspberry Danish Twist Bread

★★★★★
4.5 from 2 reviews

• 
  Author: Sally


• 
  Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes


• 
  Cook Time: 45 minutes


• 
  Total Time: 4 hours


• 
  Yield: serves 8-10


• 
  Category: Breakfast


• 
  Method: Baking


• 
  Cuisine: American

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Description

This melt-in-your-mouth raspberry danish twist bread combines flaky and crispy, fluffy and soft, buttery and fruity. A generous drizzle of creamy vanilla icing seeps into every delicious pocket.

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Ingredients

• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Red Star® Platinum yeast* (1 standard packet)


• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar


• 3/4 cup (180g) whole milk


• 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature


• 2 large eggs


• 3 and 1/2 cups (430g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 3/4 cup (240g) raspberry preserves/jam


• optional: 1/2 cup (80g) fresh or frozen raspberries

Vanilla Icing

• 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar


• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk)


• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Make the dough: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C). Pour warm milk on top of yeast/sugar. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.


2. If you do not have a mixer, you can mix by hand in this step. Add the butter, egg, flour, and salt. Beat on low speed for 4 minutes. Dough will be soft. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead it for 1 minute. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-3 more Tablespoons of flour, but you want a very soft dough. Shape into a ball.


3. Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. For this warm spot, I suggest using the oven. Preheat to 200°F (93°C), then turn the oven off after preheating. Place the covered bowl inside and shut the oven door. This is your warm environment.


4. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down to release the air.


5. Shape the twist: Watch the video above before continuing with this step. The visual guide will help! Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread jam evenly on top. If desired, dot randomly with raspberries. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half on top of the other half– forming an X. Twist the two together then coil into a circle. Carefully transfer to prepared springform pan. (I carefully pick it up using two flat spatulas!) Cover the twist with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then allow to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes.


6. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).


7. Bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. If you find the top is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vanilla icing by whisking the icing ingredients together until smooth.


8. Carefully remove the rim of the springform pan. Drizzle with vanilla icing. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: You can freeze the baked and cooled twist bread for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven to your liking, then top with icing. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, punch it down to release the air, cover tightly, then place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release the air. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing with step 5. (You may need to punch it down again if it has some air bubbles.)


2. Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 5-qt. Tilt-Head Glass Measuring Bowl | Glass Measuring Cup | 9-inch Springform Pan | Marble Cake Stand | Custom Fork


3. Yeast: I always use Red Star Platinum yeast, an instant yeast. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.

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