Sweet strawberry preserves and chunks of fresh strawberries are twisted inside of soft yeast bread, then baked until golden and topped with a simple icing.
*Place frozen dough on a greased baking sheet. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. THAW and rise about 4-5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Spray a 10-inch cast iron pan with cooking spray.
Roll the thawed dough into a large rectangle about 16×20-inches. Spread with strawberry preserves, leaving a 1⁄2 inch border. Then sprinkle with chopped strawberries.
Starting at one long side, roll up dough a little over halfway. Pick up the other long side and lift it up and over the rolled section, keeping the fruit tucked inside. Pinch the seams together. Place seam side down, and cut in half lengthwise, leaving 2 to 3-inches intact on one end.
Carefully twist the two dough pieces around each other, with the cut side up. (This part is messy, just do your best.) Bring ends together forming a circle, and place in the prepared cast iron pan. Pinch ends together. Replace any strawberries that have fallen out during the shaping process, by scooping them up and adding them to the pan.
Cover dough with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 35-45 minutes. *Cover loosely with foil around the 25-30 minute mark so the top doesn’t brown too quickly. The top will brown before baked fully in the center. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the dough springs back when touched.
Cool for 10-15 minutes. Whisk together the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Drizzle or squeeze the icing over the top. Then slice and serve.
Notes
*Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container at room temperature. *May substitute 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls in place of the loaf.