Soft, fluffy, and filled with rich, creamy cream cheese, this Cream Cheese Almond Bread is finished with a generous topping of sliced almonds for a delicious crunch in every bite. The combination of light, pillowy bread, tangy cream cheese, and toasted almonds creates a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite bakery treats—the Walnut Cream Cheese Bread from Tous Les Jours. While my version features almonds instead of walnuts, it captures the same comforting combination of soft bread and creamy filling that I love. It's my homemade interpretation, perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or whenever you're craving a bakery-style bread fresh from the oven.
INGREDIENT
180 ml full cream milk (susu cair full cream)
20 ml whipping cream
3 g instant yeast (ragi instant)
65 g granulated sugar (gula pasir)
2 eggs -100 g (telur)
1 tsp vanilla extract
500 g bread flour (tepung protein tinggi)
7 g salt (garam)
70 g unsalted butter (mentega tawar)
Cream Cheese Filling
250 g cream cheese
45 g powdered sugar (gula bubuk)
5 g cornstarch (tepung maizena)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk (kuning telur)
1 tbsp milk (susu cair)
Topping
30–40 g almond slice
Syrup after baking
2 tbsp granulated sugar (gula pasir)
2 tbsp hot water (air panas)
1/2 tsp unsalted butter (mentega tawar)
______________________
YIELD
8 pieces
______________________
INSTRUCTIONS
Cream Cheese Filling: Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Mix with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag and chill in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes before using.
Dough: Combine the warm milk, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and bread flour. Knead until the dough starts to come together. Add the butter and salt, then continue kneading until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. Cover and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shaping: Deflate the dough and divide it into 8 equal portions (about 110-115 g each). Shape each portion into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, making the dough easier to handle. Flatten each dough ball into a long rectangle. Pipe a strip of cream cheese along the bottom edge. Roll the dough upward until you reach the middle, enclosing the cream cheese.
On the remaining unrolled half of the dough, make about 7 evenly spaced cuts to create 8 strips. Continue rolling the dough into a long log, keeping the cut strips on the outside. Join the two ends together to form a ring. Make 3 small slits around the ring, being careful not to cut all the way through, so a little of the cream cheese filling is visible from the outside.
Final Proof: Place the shaped dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for 40–50 minutes, or until puffy.
Baking: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Finishing (Optional):Â While still warm, brush lightly with simple syrup for a glossy, bakery-style finish.
__________
TIPS
Use full-fat cream cheese for a rich, creamy filling.
Avoid overfilling to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
​​​​​​​Store in an airtight container after completely cooled. The bread will stay soft for 2–3 days.
__________
Cream Cheese Filling: Campurkan cream cheese, gula bubuk, dan vanilla extract. Aduk menggunakan whisk hingga teksturnya halus dan creamy (jangan overmix),. Masukkan ke dalam piping bag. Dinginkan di kulkas sekitar 30–60 menit sebelum digunakan.
Adonan: Campurkan susu hangat, whipping cream cair, ragi instan, dan gula pasir. Diamkan sekitar 5–10 menit hingga berbusa. Tambahkan telur, vanilla extract, dan tepung terigu. Uleni hingga adonan mulai menyatu. Masukkan mentega dan garam, lalu lanjutkan menguleni hingga adonan kalis, lembut, dan elastis. Tutup adonan dan diamkan sekitar 1 jam atau hingga mengembang dua kali lipat.
Pembentukan: Kempiskan adonan, lalu bagi menjadi 8 bagian sama besar (sekitar 110-115 g per bagian). Bulatkan setiap adonan, lalu diamkan selama 10 menit agar gluten rileks dan adonan lebih mudah dibentuk. Pipihkan adonan hingga berbentuk persegi panjang. Semprotkan cream cheese memanjang di sepanjang tepi bawah adonan. Gulung adonan ke arah tengah hingga menutupi cream cheese. Pada sisa bagian adonan yang belum tergulung, buat sekitar 7 sayatan sehingga membentuk 8 strip. Lanjutkan menggulung adonan hingga membentuk gulungan panjang, dengan posisi strip berada di bagian luar (atas). Satukan kedua ujung gulungan hingga membentuk lingkaran. Buat 3 sayatan kecil di beberapa bagian lingkaran tanpa memotong hingga putus, sehingga sedikit cream cheese terlihat dari luar.
Final Proof: Susun di atas loyang yang telah dialasi baking paper. Diamkan kembali sekitar 40–50 menit hingga mengembang.
Pemanggangan: Panaskan oven terlebih dahulu pada suhu 180°C. Oles permukaan roti dengan egg wash. Taburkan almond slice secukupnya. Panggang selama 15–18 menit hingga permukaannya golden brown.
Finishing (optional): Selagi masih hangat, oles tipis dengan simple syrup agar permukaannya mengilap seperti roti bakery.
__________
TIPS
Gunakan full-fat cream cheese agar filling tetap creamy dan tidak berair.
Jangan mengisi filling terlalu banyak supaya tidak mudah bocor saat dipanggang.
Simpan dalam wadah kedap udara setelah benar-benar dingin agar roti tetap lembut hingga 2–3 hari.
______________________
Watch the short recipe video on my social media
______________________
