Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Dough Prep time: 20 minutes
- First rise: 1 hour
- Second rise: 1 hour
- Baking time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3½ hours
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (or 2 packets of active dry yeast)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup warm water
Ingredients to Add to Yeast Mixture:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1¼ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6½ to 7 cups all-purpose flour
Oil for bowl:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Butter For Brushing on Rolled Bread:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Glaze:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon cream (you can substitute milk)
Instructions
-
In large bowl of heavy-duty mixer, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add ⅓ cup sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter, salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 2 cups of the flour.
- Using an electric mixer or the paddle on a stand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- With a dough hook, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Dough will be soft and buttery, but not sticky to the touch.
- Grease a large glass or ceramic bowl with the oil.
- Place dough in bowl, turning to coat all sides with the oil.
- Cover the bowl with a slightly damp towel (flour sack towels are great for this).
- Let the dough rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- To test the rise, poke 2 fingers about ½-inch deep into the dough. If the indentations stay after your fingers are removed the dough is ready.
- Grease 2 standard loaf pans; set aside.
- In a small bowl, prepare the filling and set aside.
- Punch down dough.
- Knead the dough by hand for 30 seconds.
- Divide dough in half.
- Let halves rest on a floured surface for 10 minutes, covered loosely with a towel.
- Roll out each half of dough into a 14-inch by 8-inch rectangle.
- Brush each rectangle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Sprinkle each rectangle with half the cinnamon filling to within a ½-inch of the edges.
- Lightly press the cinnamon filling into the dough with the back of a spoon.
- Beginning with the short side, roll up each rectangle tightly.
- Pinch seam and ends to seal. Turn seam-side down. Tuck ends under; pinch again.
- Place each rolled loaf in a prepared loaf pan.
- Cover pans with a dry towel.
- Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Prepare egg-yolk glaze.
- Brush tops of loaves with glaze.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped with fingertip.
- Remove from pans. Cool on racks.
Recipe from Breads, by Sharon Tyler Herbst. Tuscan: HPBooks (1983).
Comments
Makes 2 loaves of cinnamon swirl bread.