The strawberry cheesecake brioches are soft and delicious leavened treats filled with a delicate cream of ricotta and homemade strawberry jam. These very soft brioches are simple to make and enclose a creamy and scrumptious filling that blends the delicacy of ricotta with the unmistakable fragrance of strawberries. The brioche dough can be prepared with a stand mixer or by hand by simply combining all the ingredients to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough that we will divide into balls once it has risen. Then using a small glass, press into the center of each ball to create a hole to fill with a sweet ricotta cream, lemon zest and juice, and a genuine strawberry jam that can be made on the spot with fresh strawberries or using stockpiled strawberry jam when they are no longer in season. This is how wholesome and genuine cheesecake brioches are born because we prepare them at home with our own hands, and their softness conquers everyone!
The preparation is very simple: knead in a stand mixer or by hand the flour with sugar, eggs, softened butter, yeast dissolved in warm milk with a tablespoon of sugar. Let the dough rise until it doubles in volume and form 8 balls. With a glass, make a hole in the center of each ball and let it rise again for 30 minutes. Slightly enlarge the hole in the center of each ball again, brush with milk or a beaten egg, and fill the center of each ball with the cream of ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, and juice, and with a strawberry jam made with strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and juice. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350°F.
These brioches are true clouds, incredibly soft not only when fresh from the oven but even after a few days, provided they don’t disappear first! Perfect for breakfast, a snack at home or on the go, for example at school, in the office, or on a trip, strawberry and ricotta cheesecake brioches are a delicacy to try as soon as possible, excellent in spring when strawberries are in season, or all year round with strawberry jam or other fruit of your choice!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Brioches
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tbsp fresh yeast (or 1 tablespoon of dry yeast)
- lemon zest
- 1 cup cups ricotta cheese
- 7/8 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 2/3 cups strawberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Brioches
Start preparing the strawberry cheesecake brioches by making the brioche dough: in a glass, pour the warm milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast or fresh yeast. Stir until the yeast has dissolved and cover it with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes until a foam forms on the surface, indicating it is ready to use.
In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, room temperature eggs, milk with dissolved yeast, softened butter, and grated lemon zest.
Turn on the stand mixer at medium-low speed using the dough hook and let it run for about 20 minutes. You can also make the same dough by hand by mixing all the ingredients until you get an elastic dough.
Place the dough in a clean and dry bowl lightly greased with butter and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, covered place, preferably in the turned-off oven until it doubles in volume. It will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes / 2 hours.
Divide the dough into eight parts and form balls that should weigh about 3.2 to 3.5 oz each. As you form them, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving them spaced apart. With a lightly floured glass, make a hole in the center of each ball
by pressing well and slightly enlarging. Cover the dough with more plastic wrap or a cloth and let it rise again for about 30 minutes.
While preparing the brioche dough, you can start making the strawberry jam: wash the strawberries well, dry them, remove the stem, and cut them into pieces. Put them in a pot with sugar, grated lemon zest, and lemon juice, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the strawberries start to break down and take on the consistency of jam. Let cool.
For the ricotta cream, place the well-mixed and dry ricotta in a dish and add powdered sugar, grated lemon zest, and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix with a spoon to obtain a smooth cream.
After the second rising time, press again with the glass into the center of the brioches to enlarge the hole that has inevitably shrunk slightly during rising. Brush them with milk or a beaten egg.
Fill each brioche with the ricotta cream and top with strawberry jam.
Bake the brioches in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the strawberry cheesecake brioches cool, and at this point, you can serve them.
Simo and Cicci’s Recommendations
You can store the strawberry and ricotta cheesecake brioches in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature, but if it’s hot, it’s preferable to store them in the fridge, warming them for a few minutes in the oven or air fryer before consuming. You can also freeze them.
You can make a version of these brioches with other types of fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, or apples.
Instead of ricotta, you can use cream cheese.
