Description
Patriotic red, white & blueberry bread celebrates summer’s bounty with classic American flavors. Fresh berries and sweet dough create a delightful treat you’ll savor until the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar
- 1 cup (150 g) strawberries, chopped
- 1 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup (115 g) butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- ⅓ cup (85 g or 3 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage to prevent sticking.
- Cream Cheese Swirl: Blend cream cheese, sugar, egg, and flour until silky smooth, creating a luxurious marbling component for the bread.
- Butter Mixture: In a stand mixer, whip butter, sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon zest until light and airy, approximately 2-3 minutes of vigorous mixing.
- Egg Integration: Incorporate eggs into the butter mixture individually, mixing on low speed to maintain a delicate texture and prevent curdling.
- Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a clean bowl, creating the dry ingredient foundation.
- Batter Development: Gradually fold dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture, alternating between the two to ensure even distribution and prevent lumps.
- Fruit Incorporation: Gently fold strawberries and blueberries into the batter, ensuring even dispersion without overmixing.
- Layer Creation: Transfer half the batter into the prepared pan, then strategically dollop cream cheese swirl across the first layer, using a knife to create elegant marbled patterns.
- Final Assembly: Pour remaining batter over the cream cheese layer, sealing the swirl within the bread. Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top for added texture and visual appeal.
- Baking Process: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 50-60 minutes. If edges brown too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Check doneness with a tester.
- Cooling: Allow bread to cool within the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Prevent Berry Sinking: Toss berries in a light dusting of flour before adding to batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
- Swirl Technique: Use a butter knife or wooden skewer to create beautiful marbled patterns when incorporating the cream cheese layer, ensuring an even and artistic distribution.
- Moisture Preservation: Let the bread cool completely in the pan before removing to maintain its structural integrity and prevent crumbling.
- Temperature Check: Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the bread; it should read around 200-210°F to ensure thorough baking without drying out.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg