Vegan Berry Swirl Bread

I am so ready for spring!  It felt like Spring here in Minnesota for about a week with temperatures in the high 30s and 40s and the snow was melting.  So I spent as much time outside as possible when I could and dreamed about actual spring and decided that making something with strawberries sounded good since they are a late spring fruit here.  I have been wanting to make a yeast bread for a few weeks now so I finally went for it!  Originally I thought a cinnamon swirl bread sounded good, but once I started to think about those strawberries I thought a berry swirl sounded even better!  Everyone makes cinnamon bread after all, but I have never seen a Vegan Berry Swirl Bread!

Yes, I decided to mix strawberries and raspberries because I had both types of jam and I love berries in general.  They remind me of spring and summer and are my favorite fruits! I had some of Eric's Dad's home made jam on hand so it was perfect!  When I make yeast bread, I don't usually go for a loaf, I make something like cinnamon rolls, or french baguettes or something that doesn't need a pan for shape, but I thought I would branch out.  The dough for these is a sweet, yeasted vanilla dough.  I used full fat coconut milk to give it a bit of richness without adding too much straight oil, and I used flax eggs in place of eggs typically used in a bread like this.  It is just slightly sweet as it just has a little bit of sugar.  But I think it is the perfect amount of sweetness with the sweet jam swirl. 

 

I just used organic all purpose flour for this because it was what I had on hand, but if you wanted to use whole wheat flour you could if that is what you prefer, it would just be a little more heavy.  I don't know about you but there is something so satisfying about kneading yeast bread!  Don't let it intimidate you as it did me when I was younger, it is not hard to make at all!  You just need to give it a little love and rising time.  The bread smelled amazing while it baked!  But I had to let it cool down because I wanted to give it a little glaze to make it pretty. 

I gave it a coconut vanilla glaze, topped it off with some freeze dried berries and it was perfect!  So soft and pillowy and heavenly the texture, with the gooey sweet jam and smooth glaze it was so delicious!  It is nice because you don't need to spread jam on this, since it is already there and honestly I thought it needed no adornment.  If you are looking for something delicious to make this weekend, definitely give this Vegan Berry Swirled Bread a try!

Vegan Berry Swirl Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Dough:

• 1/2 cup warm water ( 105-110F degrees)
• 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
• 3/4 cup warm full fat coconut milk (I warmed it up on the stove)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, maple sugar or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
• 3 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour
• coconut oil for brushing

 

Filling:

• 1 cup strawberry jam and/or raspberry jam (I mixed the two together)

 

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup coconut butter (not oil)
• 3 Tbsp thin coconut milk or as needed
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

 

Topping:

• freeze dried strawberries and/or raspberries

 

Instructions:

1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and the warm water (about 110F degrees, you don't want to kill the yeast) plus a pinch of maple sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit 5-10 minutes until it starts to foam.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and flax mixture and mix together to combine.
3. Add the yeast, and 2 cups of flour and mix to combine.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until you have a smooth dough (you may need to use your hands at the end to mix it in).
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and supple. If it is too sticky add a little flour but you want to add as little as possible because if you add too much the dough gets tough.
6. Place in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
7. When it is ready, turn out onto the counter or a board and roll out into a 16x20 inch rectangle.
8. Spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 inch boarder.
9. Roll it up, starting with the short end, then pinch the ends shut and the seam along the side.
10. Place seam side down into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased loaf pan.
11. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
12. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F degrees.
13. When the bread has risen for 45 minutes, brush it with coconut oil, and place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour until the internal temperature is 190F degrees or higher and the bread is cooked through.  You may need to tent it with foil partway through if it gets too brown, I tented mine at 45 minutes because it was just right. 
14. Remove from the oven and let cool.
15. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding a little bit more coconut milk if it seems too thick.
16. Pour the glaze over the top of the bread, sprinkle with the freeze dried berries, and allow the glaze to set for a while before cutting until it is more firm. 
17. Enjoy!

 

This bread keeps covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it, tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for a few months.