Make Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The holiday season wouldn't be quite the same without the comforting dishes and treats everyone associates. One such treat is cinnamon swirl bread, favored by many in the winter months. Even if you've never baked bread before, these detailed instructions will have you enjoying a 9" x 5" (23 cm x 12.5 cm) loaf of warm cinnamon swirl bread just in time for the holidays!

  • Makes: 12-14 servings
  • Prep: 10-12 minutes
  • Bake: 35-45 minutes
  • Ready in: 1 hour
  • Calories: 233

Ingredients

For the Enriched Bread Dough

  • ½ cup (120 milliliters) whole milk (substitute 2% if desired)
  • 4 tablespoon (½ stick, 60 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch (1.5 centimeter) pieces
  • 1 envelope of instant yeast (2¼ teaspoon, 7 grams)
  • ½ cup (118 milliliters) warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 45 degrees Celsius)
  • ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces, 66 grams) sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoon (6.5 grams) salt
  • 3¼ to 3¾ cups (16¼ to 18¾ ounces, 405 to 470 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

For the Filling

  • ¼ cup (1¾ ounces, 50 grams) sugar
  • 5 teaspoons (11.5 grams) ground cinnamon
  • Milk for brushing

For the Glaze

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons (7 milliliters) milk

Steps

For the Dough

  1. Prepare the supplies. Get out the dough ingredients you will need to make this recipe. Setting out the tools and ingredients will help you know what you have and will make it easier when you bake. It can also help you bake faster. [1] You are welcomed to scroll up for the ingredients list and scroll down for the things you'll need list.
  2. Heat the butter and milk. On a stove top, heat the milk and butter in a large bowl until the butter melts. Insure the butter is not softened because it can overheat when melted. Cool until warm, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 45 degrees Celsius.
  3. Add the yeast and water. In a smaller bowl, stir the yeast and water together with a spoon until fully combined. Add the wet yeast mixture in with the melted butter mixture. Mix well with a whisk.
  4. Add the eggs and sugar. Slowly pour the sugar and beat the eggs in on low speed to blend fully. The mixture should be a light yellow and will be a watery liquid from the eggs, butter, and warm water. This is normal. The mixture will turn doughy once the flour is added.
  5. Add the salt and two cups of flour. Sprinkle the salt and pour only two cups of the flour into the large bowl. Mix at medium speed until blended. The mixture should start to look like cake batter and will get a little stiff. After mixing, switch to the dough hook as this will get really gooey and messy. The dough will get stuck on the dough hook so please switch it. See variation in the Tips below if not using a mixer.
    • Dough hooks look like a spring and are a little curved or bent. Its job is to make air bubbles in the dough and make delicious, chewy bread. [2]
  6. Start kneading. Add 1 and ¼ cup more flour and knead at medium-low speed. Add more flour sparingly if the dough sticks to the side of the bowl. Mix well and have the dough hook do it's work. You may have to wait a bit for the dough to form and for all the flour streaks to disappear. It should take about three to four minutes depending on your mixer.
  7. Prepare the dough for rising. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. If the dough is sticky knead in up to ½ cup more flour to form a soft, elastic dough. The dough is about rise and you want the it to be as soft as possible for baking.
  8. Oil the dough. Transfer the dough to a very lightly oiled bowl, then rotate to oil all sides. Oil can help give the cinnamon swirl bread a better texture [3] when eating it, and also helps it soften. [4]
  9. Have the dough rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, usually taking about two hours. If you are having trouble making the dough rise check out the article on how to fix dough that won't rise.
  10. Have the dough rest. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface making sure you do not to fold the dough over. Let the dough rest for about ten minutes, getting it ready for the filling go inside.

For the Filling

  1. Prepare a loaf pan. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Use a good loaf pan that can withstand high temperatures and will fill in the right amount dough.
  2. Combine the cinnamon and sugar. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar with a spoon. Cinnamon is the big key to this bread so you want to make sure you have the correct one. Avoid using spicy or hot cinnamon packets as they give your bread a not so sweet taste. [5]
  3. Roll the dough. To add the filling to cinnamon swirl bread, you need to flatten the dough so you can rub it on. Press the dough into an evenly shaped rectangle with the short side facing you. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 18 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Brush the dough liberally with milk. so the sugar mixture can stick on the dough.
  4. Sprinkle the filling. This is the fun part when making cinnamon swirl bread, adding the filling! Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a border on the far side.
  5. Roll up the dough. Starting at the side closest to you, roll up the dough. Pinch the dough gently with your fingertips to seal it. When you finish rolling the dough, pinch the seam together.
  6. Have the dough rise again. With the seam side up, pinch the ends of the dough together. Place the loaf seam side down in the prepared pan; Press lightly to flatten. Cover the top of the pan loosely with plastic wrap or with a towel and set aside for it to rise.
    • Let it rise until the dough is 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) above the top of the pan, about 1 ½ hours.
  7. Preheat the oven and prepare the oven for baking. As the dough nears the top of the pan, adjust the oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Glaze and Bake

  1. Gently brush the loaf with the milk an egg, In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Gently brush the top of the loaf with the egg mixture with a pastry brush.
  2. Bake the bread. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 185 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 to 88 degrees Celsius. That will usually take about 35-45 minutes depending on your oven.
  3. Have cool. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and have it cool on its side, laying it on wire rack until room temperature, at least fifteen minutes.
  4. Enjoy!

Tips

  • Sprinkling your work surface with cornstarch instead of flour will prevent the dough from sticking even more effectively.
  • You can optionally add raisins or any other dried fruit such as dried cranberries.
  • To hand-knead, follow the recipe by sprinkling the yeast over the water in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate the other ingredients as directed. When the dough comes together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and follow the rising instructions.
  • You can spread butter, jam, or cream cheese on this bread for breakfast or a quick snack.

Warnings

  • Be careful not use hot water for the yeast, it can kill the yeast organisms and cause the dough not to rise well.

Things You'll Need

  • Oven
  • Large bowl
  • Mixer
  • Plastic wrap or towel

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/10-tips-to-help-you-cook-faster-tips-from-the-kitchn-219379
  2. ↑ http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/08/02/what-is-a-dough-hook/
  3. ↑ http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/19694/what-is-the-purpose-of-oil-or-butter-in-bread
  4. ↑ http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20426/oil-or-no-oil-bread
  5. ↑ http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices-by-category/cinnamon/
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