This beautiful Pumpkin Cheesecake Braid is both impressive and elegant but also inviting and accessible thanks to the Ankarsrum Original Mixer. Mixing and kneading the dough could not be more effortless, and the resulting bread is incredibly tender and fluffy with just a little bit of chew. Once filled with a spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling, this bread really shines. Canned pumpkin gives it a sweet earthiness, and cream cheese gives the filling just the right amount of tang. With a little bit of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice added to the mix, it’ll taste like your favorite pumpkin pie rolled into a stunning braided bread. Finished with a simple brown sugar Crumb Topping that crisps and caramelizes in the oven, this braid will be the perfect addition to festive holiday tables and casual fall brunches alike.

The Ankarsrum Original Mixer, fashioned from sturdy and sleek chrome and steel, is the ultimate professional-quality kitchen tool. With a 600-watt motor found at the bottom of the mixer and an adjustable steel arm that holds the roller with a separate scraper, this mixer can simultaneously roll and knead dough as it works, making bread dough all the more approachable and easy to work with. But there’s also an array of other optional attachments that help to make this mixer the ultimate kitchen tool. From a cookie extruder to a citrus press, the abilities of this mixer are seemingly innumerable. The Ankarsrum Original Mixer offers professional functionality and versatility all in one convenient countertop tool, perfect for bakers of all levels.

Recipe How-To

Mixing:

1. For dough: Assemble Ankarsrum mixer with stainless steel bowl and roller/scraper. Place warm milk, ¼ cup (60 grams) warm water, egg, melted butter, yeast, and vanilla in bowl. With roller resting on rim of bowl, beat at medium speed (3 o’clock) until combined, about 1 minute. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and salt. With mixer on lowest setting (12 o’clock), gradually add flour mixture to warm milk mixture. Increase mixer speed to medium-low (between 2 and 3 o’clock), and beat until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, lock arm in place about ½ inch from side, and set timer for 10 minutes to knead, stopping to scrape sides of bowl about halfway through mixing. Adjust arm to 1 inch from side, and set timer for 5 minutes to knead, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. (Dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic and pass the windowpane test; see Notes.)

3. Gather dough into a ball, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Shaping:

1. Punch down dough; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16×10½-inch rectangle (about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick), and place on parchment paper. Reroll and stretch dough to correct dimensions, if needed. 

2. For filling: In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, pie spice, and vanilla; whisk until well combined.

3. Mark dough lengthwise so rectangle is divided into thirds; spread pumpkin mixture evenly within middle third, leaving a 1-inch border on each short end. Using a bench scraper, cut away a 1-inch thick rectangle from each corner, leaving center tabs the width of filling; fold tabs over filling. Cut same number of 1-inch-wide strips along each side of filling. Starting on left side, fold 1 strip over filling, ending just below opposite strip. Repeat with strip on right side. Continue pattern, alternating left and right, until you reach end of strips. Tie, tuck, and pinch last strip. Transfer parchment and braided dough to a rimmed baking sheet stacked on top of a second baking sheet. (See Notes.) Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and dough holds an indentation when poked, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with Crumb Topping.

6. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 25 to 30 minutes, loosely covering with foil during final 5 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.