I don’t know where fruit that’s a bit past it’s prime goes in other households, but in mine, it goes in to baking. These strawberries sat in the fridge just a day too long and so I quickly cooked them in to a fresh strawberry compote and then used that compote for this bread.
Delicious fresh strawberry sweet bread recipe, topped with a streusel topping.
The bread itself is a soft and sweet yeast bread, which is filled with the strawberries then rolled up jelly-roll style then formed in to a ring in the skillet. A sweet and crunchy streusel is then added on top before baking. The result is a fruit-filled sweet bread that is much like a coffee cake and perfect to enjoy any time of day.
I formed my bread into a ring and baked it in my skillet. You could also cut the dough in to two pieces once it’s rolled and baked it up as two small loaves.
I must warn you that rolling this bread with the compote spread on it is not the easiest of tasks for the uninitiated. The trick is to lift and flop/drop it over, rather than rolling. (Rolling will just move all the filling forward, which isn’t what you’re after here.). Once you get the hang of the motion, it’s actually super simple. Be sure to leave a 1 1/2-inch margin with no filling though, to prevent the filling from squeezing out the sides or ends.
- Bread:
- 3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. fine salt
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. white or brown sugar
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup lukewarm buttermilk or milk
- 2 1/2 tsp. instant or dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
- Streusel:
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. white sugar
- 2 Tbsp. softened butter
- Fresh Strawberry Compote:
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- Icing/Confectioners sugar, for garnish
- Prepare strawberry compote by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well, then bring mixture to a boil. Using a potato masher, mash strawberries lightly to break up a bit (but not completely). Allow to boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then pour in to a bowl. Allow to cool a bit at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate to cool completely.
- Prepare streusel by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and, using a fork, mix until mixture forms large crumbs. Cover and place bowl in to freezer, until needed.
- For the bread, combine the yeast with the lukewarm water and milk and let stand 5 minutes. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add yeast mixture and melted butter. Mix until dough comes together, then knead until smooth (you may need to add a bit more flour or liquid). Remove dough to a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Remove dough to a floured surface and roll in to a rectangle roughly 16 inches long by 10 inches wide. Spread your (cooled) strawberry compote over the surface, leaving a 1 1/2-inch margin around all sides uncovered. Starting with the long side, begin to roll dough by folding over the edge, then gently lifting up and then dropping the dough forward (rather than rolling). Pinch the open ends together as you go to avoid filling coming out the ends. As you near the end, rather than rolling the turn, pull the bare edge up towards you and pinch the dough together along the length. Rotate your dough so the seam is down.
- (*Note: At this point, you could cut the roll in half, in to two pieces and rise/bake in two small loaf pans, if you like).
- Grease an 8-inch skillet. Lift the rolled dough in to the skillet and form in to a ring. Overlap the ends slightly. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Using a sharp knife, cut a series of slashes in to the dough every couple of inches, as if you were cutting it in to wedges, but only cut through the first couple of layers (dough may want to mend back together, so be sure to stretch it open as you cut to avoid this.) Remove streusel from freezer and using your hands, break up the streusel into small clumps and sprinkle over the bread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool in the skillet. Serve dusted with a little icing/confectioners sugar, if desired.
Don’t have a cast-iron skillet yet?
Here’s a great one to get you started. It’s pre-seasoned, the perfect size for so many dishes, not too heavy and great quality. It will last you a lifetime!
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I’ve never heard of skillet bread in my whole life and am soooo intrigued!! This sounds perfect!
Thanks Katrina. Skillet bread is simply bread cooked in a skillet instead of a loaf pan. It’s more of a coffee cake than a loaf bread.
Wow! So impressive! I had no idea you could cook bread in the skillet. I got one for my birthday and I haven’t used it yet but I will bookmark this recipe. Thank you!
Thanks Jessica. Cast iron cooks so many things well!
This sounds AWESOME! I want a gooey warm slice right this instant! Just think, someone else would have tossed those berries out. But yours became the star of this lovely treat!
Thanks Sophie. I hate throwing out any food, especially fruit that I sadly neglected to eat when it was perfect. Baking with them just makes me feel a whole lot better :)
i love strawberry! it looks delicious!
Thanks so much, Dina!
I am literally forcing myself not to drool all over my computer screen. I LOVE this bread – it looks so gooey and decadent. I wish I had a warm slice right now!
Thanks Meghan. It really was a satisfying treat, especially warmed!
I don’t even know where to start! What a beauty! The photos and the recipe itself. Oh how I wish I had some right now!
Thanks so much, Julia. I am still enjoying this one, as I froze much of it. I’ve been grabbing a slice to enjoy with my morning coffee!
Gorgeous bread, I adore the streusel and strawberry filling!
Thanks Laura. The big veins of strawberry were my favourite part, too!
This bread is GORGEOUS, and since I just got my first cast iron pan, I’m dying to make it. It will happen without a doubt!
Thanks Alexandra. You will love your pan! It just cooks things so well, especially baking.
this looks seriously good, definitely craving a piece right now. this recipe i will be saving to recreate in my kitchen (if i can get over my yeast proving phobia). thanks jennifer!
Thanks Thalia. This is worth getting over your phobia for :)
This one is really good using about a cup of jam – I used some blueberry jam from last summer – if you don’t have fresh fruit for a compote.
That’s a great tip for this one, Bob. Thanks!
Oh my god ! This is very fluffy bread ever I made ! And even I was using with Bread machine for kneading.
And I don’t have Strawberry , so instead I was using 2 Honey Crisp Apples with your recipe for Strawberry filling.
And also I was using bake with regular 10 inch cake pan . (After raising dough was huge ! That’s my favorite way to raising dough)
Anyways, this recipe made me happpy again and repeat to make again and again ………..
Thank you !!
So glad you enjoyed it! I bet it was nice with those lovely apples :)