Easy Cinnamon Swirl Bread
While this bake is a little more challenging, I still put it is the easy category as it is something that Daisy and I have been doing for the last year or so. Because this recipe makes two loaves, you can be working simultaneously with your child. With a little guidance, Daisy is able to do most of the bake on her own.
What comes out is a moist sweet bread. Toasted with butter it is heaven. Enjoy.
ADVISORY: This mix needs to be done with a mixer as the dough is quite wet.
Recipe borrowed from Bread Illustrated
This recipe makes 2 loaves.
I usually give away a loaf or it freezes well
TOTAL TIME about 6 hrs
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Scale
Stand Mixer (this is a wet dough so I wouldn’t advise mixing by hand)
BPA free plastic tub with top (at least 6 qts) or you can use a glass bowl with plastic wrap
2 9x5” loaf pans
Water filled spray bottle
Pastry brush
INGREDIENTS
Dough
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 32 pieces)
586 grams of bread flour (about 3.25 cups)
64 grams nonfat milk powder (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon of instant or rapid rise yeast
1.5 cups of room temperature water
69 grams of granulated sugar (about 1/3 cup)
1 large egg (room temperature)
1.5 teaspoons of salt
Filling
113 grams of powdered sugar (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Egg wash
1 egg, lightly beaten with a 1 tablespoon of water and a dash of salt
DIRECTIONS
Filling:
Whisk all together in a bowl until well combined
Dough
Toss butter with 1 tablespoon of the flour (image 1)
Whisk remaining flour, milk powder and yeast together in the bowl of the stand mixer
Whisk water, sugar and egg together until the sugar has dissolved
Using dough hook on low speed, slowly add the water mixture to the flour and mix until no dry flour remains, scraping bowl as needed (about 2 minutes)
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes
Add salt to dough and knead on medium low speed until dough is smooth and elastic and clears the side of the bowl (about 8 minutes)
Over the next 2 minutes add the pieces of butter and knead until the butter is fully incorporated, scraping bowl as needed (total of about 4 minutes)
Continue to knead the dough for another 3-5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and clears the side of the bowl
Transfer the dough to a lightly tub (or bowl). Using your fingertips fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough towards the middle. Rotate the tub 45 degrees and fold dough again. Repeat this fold 6 more times. Cover and let the dough rise for 45 minutes
Repeat the folding, cover the tub and let dough rise until it is nearly doubled in size (30 - 60 minutes)
Press down on dough to deflate and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and cover one of the pieces with lightly greased plastic
Woking with 1 piece at a time (unless working simultaneously with your kid, staggering your start times if you only have one rolling pin), press and roll into an 11 x 6 inch rectangle (short side parallel to the counter edge)
Stretch and fold the dough lengthwise into thirds to form an 11 x 3 inch rectangle and roll the dough away from you into a firm ball, keeping the ball taut by tucking it under itself as you go.
Repeat with the second piece of dough and cover loosely with plastic
Working with one piece of dough at a time (unless you are working simultaneously with your child, staggering your start times if you only have one rolling pin), lightly coat the dough ball with flour and place on lightly flour surface. With seam side down, flatten the ball with a rolling pin into an 18 x 7 inch rectangle (with short side parallel to counter edge). (image 4)
I find that this is the hardest step, as the dough keeps wanting to contract (and usually where Daisy needs the most help). I tend to err on the side of using as little flour underneath as possible because once the dough starts sticking to the counter the rolling becomes a little easier. You’ll want to experiment. I am not suggesting to use no flour under the dough ball
I like to use medium pressure and starting from the middle of the dough ball work up and then down (alternating directions)
Mist the surface of the dough with water and sprinkle half of the filling over the dough. Then mist the filling with water until the entire surface is speckled. (image 5 this image was taken before the final mist cover the filling)
Using your hands, roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder (keeping it taut by tucking it under itself as you go). (image 7)
Pinch seam and ends closed, lightly dust the cylinder on all sides with flour and cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes
Repeat steps 15-18 with second dough ball (if not working with your child)
Grease 2 9 x 5 inch loaf pans
Using bench scraper cut 1 cylinder in half lengthwise. (image 8)
Turn halves cut side up and gently stretch into 14 inch lengths (image 8)
Arrange strips side by side and pinch one of the ends together (image9)
Starting at the pinched end, take left strip and lay over right strip. Repeat, keeping cut sides up, until pieces of dough are tightly twisted. Pinch remaining ends together. (image 10, 11)
Transfer loaf cut sides up to prepared pan and gently press dough into the corners. Cover lightly with greased plastic (image 12)
Repeat with second loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Let the loaves rise until they start cresting the top of the pan (about 1.5 - 2 hrs)
Adjust oven rack to middle position
Gently brush loaves with the egg wash
Bake for about 25 minutes until the crust is well browned
Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees , tent loaves with aluminum foil and bake an additional 20 minutes
Let the loaves cool in the pan for 5 minutes
Carefully remove loaves from the pan and let cool on wire rack for a couple of hours
I find running a knife around the edge of the pan helps with removal
ENJOY (image 13, 14, 15)
