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This golden loaf of bread holds a secret: a swirl of cinnamon and sugar in each slice! Toast and butter this cinnamon swirl bread for the proper strategy to begin the morning.
Consider it or not, I was completely freaked out by the concept of baking with yeast. It completely intimidated me!
However ultimately I made a decision to provide it a attempt with tremendous simple recipes like english muffin bread. I gained sufficient confidence that now I really like making all the things from parker home rolls for vacation dinners to in a single day cinnamon rolls for weekend breakfasts.
If you wish to make a shocking loaf of bread, this cinnamon swirl bread is it. The bread appears to be like unassuming at first, however if you slice into it, it reveals an attractive swirl of cinnamon and sugar in each slice.
That is the kind of yeast bread recipe that may have completely freaked me out years in the past, however now I do know that it’s not likely troublesome in any respect. So stick to me and I’ll stroll you thru it so you’ll be able to really feel assured sufficient to attempt it, too!
What’s cinnamon swirl bread?
Cinnamon swirl bread doesn’t look that particular from the skin. Earlier than it’s sliced, it appears to be like like a typical loaf of white sandwich bread.
Scrumptious, positive, however nothing overly loopy.
However when you slice into the loaf, you will note an ideal swirl of cinnamon and sugar that runs down all the loaf, so each slice will get a reasonably cinnamon swirl in it.
Stephie’s mother used to make cinnamon swirl bread when she was a child, and he or she advised me that her favourite factor was to eat it from the skin in, till she was left with the very heart bit with cinnamon sugar on each facet. Sort of like how I wish to eat cinnamon rolls even now!
This cinnamon swirl bread makes for probably the most unbelievable toast, however I feel it will additionally make for some fairly nice french toast.
Learn how to make cinnamon swirl bread
So how do you make this superior cinnamon swirl bread? I promise it’s not as exhausting because it appears to be like – however I additionally promise to not give away your secrets and techniques if you need folks to suppose you labored actually, actually exhausting on this recipe.
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Substances you want
The substances record for this bread recipe is fairly quick and possibly consists of issues you have already got in your pantry and fridge.
For the bread itself, you’ll need:
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) on the spot yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons positive sea salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
In case you neglect to set your butter out forward of time, I’ve bought some ideas for softening butter rapidly that you should use.
Additionally, you will wish to be sure to know the right way to measure flour appropriately in order that this bread seems excellent for you each time.
For the cinnamon swirl, you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 giant egg crushed with 1 tablespoon water
Recipe Tip
You would possibly suppose that the egg wash is for the skin of the loaf, but it surely’s really for the within! It can assist forestall “gapping” within the swirl because the bread rises and bakes.
Making the bread dough
Begin by making the bread dough. To do that, add the milk and butter right into a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl and microwave on excessive for about 1 minute.
You need the milk to be heat however not scorching – ideally, the temperature ought to learn round 115℉ on an instant-read thermometer.
The butter most likely received’t absolutely soften, however don’t stress about that.
Pour the milk combination into a big bowl and add the remainder of the dough substances. Combine by hand or with a dough hook till the dough comes collectively however remains to be a bit bit shaggy.
Now flip the dough onto a calmly floured floor. Knead till the dough is easy and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Place the dough right into a calmly greased bowl. Cowl with a clear kitchen towel or piece of plastic wrap. Set the dough in a heat place till it has doubled in measurement – this can take round an hour.
Whereas the dough is rising, go forward and prep your filling. Stir collectively the cinnamon, sugar, and flour in a single bowl, and whisk the egg and water collectively in one other bowl.
You can even go forward and spray an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Shaping and baking the cinnamon swirl bread
As soon as your dough has doubled in measurement, it’s time to form the bread.
Gently flip the dough out onto a calmly greased floor and pat or roll it right into a rectangle about 6 inches x 20 inches.
Brush the highest of the dough with the egg wash, then evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar filling.
Now, beginning at one of many quick sides, tightly roll the dough right into a log. Pinch the ends and the lengthy seam to seal and place seam-side down within the greased loaf pan.
Loosely cowl the pan with greased plastic wrap and let the bread rise about 1 extra hour, till it has risen 1 inch excessive of the pan. Whereas it’s rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cinnamon swirl bread for 45-55 minutes, till the skin is golden and the inside reads 190°F on an on the spot learn thermometer. If the crust begins to get too brown towards the tip of the baking time however the inside nonetheless isn’t absolutely baked via, tent calmly with a bit of foil to stop the crust from getting darker.
Fastidiously flip the bread out onto a wire rack to chill. If desired, brush the highest with melted butter after it comes out of the oven for a mushy, satiny crust.
Let the cinnamon swirl bread cool earlier than slicing and having fun with.
Storage ideas
Retailer your cinnamon swirl bread at room temperature for a number of days. Make certain to maintain it properly wrapped; I sometimes wrap mine in foil.
You can even retailer it within the freezer for as much as a month. Wrap the loaf in a layer of plastic wrap adopted by foil. Make certain to label it with the date when it was made so you understand its “finest by” date!
Extra filling concepts
Clearly the cinnamon-sugar filling is the traditional selection for a cinnamon swirl bread, however there are different methods to vary up the filling for this bread.
Strive swapping out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or chai spice mix for a mixture of heat spices swirled into the dough.
You can even add dried raisins or dried cranberries to the filling. Sprinkle them on prime of the cinnamon-sugar combination and roll them up with the dough.
King Arthur Flour makes one thing known as “jammy bits” – their apple cinnamon jammy bits (or related dried or dehydrated cinnamon apple bits) can be particularly good on this filling.
Recipe FAQs
You need the milk used within the dough to be heat sufficient to activate (ie, get up) the yeast, however not so scorching that it kills the yeast.
If in case you have an instant-read thermometer, the milk ought to be round 115°F. In case you don’t have a thermometer, it ought to really feel heat however not scorching to the within of your wrist.
Sprinkle a clear countertop with all-purpose flour. Place your dough on the floured floor.
Use the bottom of 1 palm to push the dough away from you, then use your different hand to fold the dough again over itself and switch it 90 levels. Repeat this course of for about 8 minutes, including extra flour to the countertop if wanted if issues get too sticky.
The extra you apply the kneading movement, the simpler it’ll develop into. Kneading does take time, so don’t attempt to rush it; it’s essential for constructing construction within the dough to your cinnamon swirl bread.
While you’re making any type of yeast dough, pay the closest consideration to the visible cues within the recipe for when the dough is completed rising and prepared for the following step. For instance, if the recipe says that the dough ought to be “doubled in measurement” or “till it’s crested about 1″ over the rim of the pan.”
The occasions given within the recipe gives you an concept of how lengthy this would possibly take, however the precise time will differ relying on how heat your kitchen is.
One simple strategy to know if the dough is completed rising is thru the “poke check.” Gently press an indentation into the dough along with your finger. If the dough slowly springs again, it’s prepared for the following step.
If the dough doesn’t spring again, it wants extra time to rise.
One of many first clues that your bread is completed or virtually accomplished would be the shade. The highest of the loaf ought to be deeply golden.
Nonetheless, relying in your oven, the highest of the loaf is perhaps browned earlier than the within is cooked via!
Essentially the most dependable strategy to examine your cinnamon swirl bread is with an on the spot learn thermometer. In case you insert it into the middle of the loaf, it ought to learn round 190°F when the middle of the bread is cooked via.
With out being in your kitchen with you, it’s exhausting to know precisely what might need occurred to your cinnamon swirl bread to not rise, however there are a couple of frequent causes to begin with.
Make certain your yeast is contemporary. In case your yeast isn’t contemporary, it received’t rise. I retailer my yeast within the freezer; this can maintain it good for approach longer than storing it within the pantry.
One other frequent problem is that the milk combination was too scorching if you combined it with the opposite substances. If the milk is simply too scorching, it could kill the yeast, which is able to maintain the dough from rising.
I like to recommend utilizing an instant-read thermometer to verify your milk is round 115℉. This can be a nice temperature for activating the yeast with out killing it.
In case your dough is rising however simply rising extra slowly than you suppose it ought to, your kitchen is perhaps a bit too chilly. Some newer ovens have a dough proofing setting which works nice.
In case your oven doesn’t have a setting for proofing, attempt putting the dough within the oven with solely the sunshine turned on (don’t flip the precise oven on!). The sunshine will heat the within of the oven simply sufficient to assist the dough rise properly.
Make the dough:
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Add the milk and butter to a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on excessive for about 1 minute, or till the temperature reaches round 115℉ on an instant-read thermometer. The butter could not absolutely soften; that’s okay.
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Add the warmed milk combination to a big bowl. Add the remaining dough substances and blend till the dough comes collectively however remains to be a bit shaggy.
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Flip the dough out onto a calmly floured floor and knead for 8-10 minutes, or till the dough is easy and elastic.
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Place the dough in a calmly greased bowl. Cowl the bowl, and permit the dough to rise, at room temperature, till it’s practically doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. To check if the dough is completed rising, gently press the dough along with your finger. If the dough slowly springs again, it’s prepared. If the dough doesn’t spring again, it must rise a bit longer.
Make the filling:
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Whereas the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring collectively the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
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In a separate bowl, whisk collectively the egg and water.
Fill and form the bread:
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Switch the dough to a calmly greased work floor, and pat it right into a 6″ x 20″ rectangle.
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Brush the dough with the egg/water combination and prime evenly with the cinnamon-sugar filling.
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Beginning with a brief finish, roll the dough right into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the lengthy seam closed.
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Switch the log, seam-side down, to a calmly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with calmly greased plastic wrap.
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Enable the bread to rise till it’s crested about 1″ over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Once more, it could rise extra slowly for you; let it rise until it’s 1″ over the rim of the pan, even when that takes longer than an hour.
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Whereas the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. In case you really feel the crust is getting too brown throughout baking, tent with a bit of foil – the bread will proceed baking, however it’ll forestall the crust from browning additional. When accomplished, the bread’s crust might be golden brown, and the inside of the completed loaf ought to measure 190°F on a digital thermometer.
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Take away the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the perimeters with a heatproof spatula or desk knife. Flip it out of the pan, and brush the highest floor with butter, if desired; this can give it a mushy, satiny crust. Enable the bread to chill utterly earlier than slicing.
Tailored from King Arthur Flour.
Serving: 1slice, Energy: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 7g, Fats: 9g, Saturated Fats: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Trans Fats: 0.3g, Ldl cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 368mg, Potassium: 119mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 275IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 2mg
Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.