After a few months with no food appearing on this blog I think it is time I share this amazing recipe with you. And just in time for Easter!
Sweet breads are popular here at any time of year, but especially around Eastertime, and this one beats cake as far as I am concerned. (Yes, it’s that good! 😉 )
You will need a 30 cm/12 inch loaf pan and, for the dough:
- 500 g (4 cups) strong (bread) flour
- 1 packet (1 tbsp) of instant yeast
- 45 g (4 tbsps) sugar
- 125 g (1 stick) margarine, cut into small pieces
- 250 ml (1 cup) soya milk, warmed
- pinch of salt
… and for the filling:
- 75 g margarine (2/3 stick), melted (and a little extra for greasing your pan)
- 125 g (2/3 cup) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 200 g (2 cups) blueberries (I used frozen)
Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and all the warmed soya milk and mix a little of the flour into the well. Leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Now go back to your dough and add the rest of the sugar, the pinch of salt and the margarine. Now comes the fun part – mix with your hands until it all comes together into a nice soft dough. On a floured surface knead it for about 5 minutes. Then place in a clean bowl, cover, and leave it to rise in a warm spot for an hour or so.
In the meantime, scrape the seeds out of your vanilla bean and mix them with the 125 g sugar, grease your pan well, melt your margarine, and pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
When your dough has risen, punch it to release some of the air and then roll it out to about 40 x 35 cm (16 x 14 inches). Brush with almost all of the melted margarine. Sprinkle all but 2 tablespoons of the vanilla sugar evenly on top. Now cut into 8 x 10 cm (3 x 4 inch) squares and stack 4 or 5 of them at a time to make it easier to put them into your pan. Press a few blueberries in between each layer as you go, and then squash the layers up nicely in the pan. Finally, brush with the remaining margarine and sprinkle over the last of the vanilla sugar.
Bake for about 45 minutes. If it starts turning too brown during the end of the cooking time, cover with a bit of foil.
Leave to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before easing out and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
My tip: this tastes wonderful served still slightly warm. 😉 Oh yummy!
I hope this has inspired you! Go on, try it!
Will you be baking anything for Easter?
Looks delicious. Anything with blueberries in has my vote.
I always freeze loads in summer when they are at their best here! 😉
Oh my goodness Cathy! Such a splendid vegan bread! My Mr adores blueberries, he would inhale this beauty.
🙂 I think this would be lovely with any berries, but I am also a real blueberry fan!
Mmmmmm – will pass this on to vegan niece who is keen to extend her repertoire 🙂
It’s a nice change from cake, and absolutely unnoticeably vegan! 😉
Not much of a baker but this is so enticing I may have to try it.
Hi Ricki. It really is good and I intened to make it again next weekend. Go on, give it a go! 😉
This looks SO good! Yum!
Double yum! 🙂
Plan to try this.
Oh, I do hope you try it. Enjoy! 🙂
J > I definitely would like to try this, as we can get all the ingredients – including soya milk – in the island shop, but not the vanilla. What would you suggest substituting for that?
Hi J, no vanilla? How about using some lemon zest instead? That would be great with berries. 🙂 I am impressed that you can get soya milk on the island.
J > Mmm that’s a good idea. We can spare some zest from making our legendary lemon curd.
😀
Oh this looks so good, blueberries are so yummy
I agree Dorris – love blueberries in any form! 😉
Yum, I can’t wait to try this!
You’ll love it! Happy baking! 😉
This is just a wonderful recipe, Cathy! I can’t wait to make it. I am traveling for Easter and I think it would be a lovely bread to bring as a gift! Yum!
Hi Debra. So glad it appeals to you! I do hope you enjoy it if you do make it! 🙂
This looks wonderful! I wish I had your baking skills.
Very little skill involved, really! I think a yeast dough is easier than cake in fact! 🙂
I’m still impressed, Cathy. 🙂
🙂
If I wasn’t in bed with my teeth already brushed I’d be tempted to try this right now 🙂