Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I've definitely been getting a bit braver when it comes to baking with yeast. My failures still outnumber my successes, none of which I've bothered to blog about. I'm not too proud to admit my failures but I don't see the point in recanting them here, when this where I look to reproduce my favorite recipes. But this recipe, was definitely a success. The recipe came from Cook's Illustrated, and I baked this bread on day two of the flu/cold virus that had claimed both my children and kept them at home from school. Which, surprisingly, freed up my time, as they were basically zombies on the couch and I didn't have to leave the house to pick them up from school and cart them off to their usual activities. Had that not been the case, I definitely couldn't have tackled this recipe on a weekday. It was definitely time-consuming in the way of 'waiting'. Plus said virus hadn't yet claimed me as another victim - at least not at the time that I baked this bread, but it did shortly thereafter.

This recipe is perfect for a Sunday project, or on another day when you know you'll be home. Don't be intimidated by the long instructions. I promise, it's easier than it looks and it's so worth the time. I've even provided step-by-step pictures in case you're like me and take great comfort in seeing what it's supposed to look like. I modified the recipe by omitting the raisins, but have provided the recipe as written in case you're a freak and actually like raisins in your bread. ; )

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

(Source: Cook's Illustrated | April 2012)

For the Dough:

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 1/4 cups (20.5 ounces) bread flour, plus extra

3/4 cup (2.25 ounces) nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 cup (2.33 ounces) granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. instant yeast

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water (110 degrees)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp. salt 

1 1/2 cup (7.5 ounces) golden raisins *optional (I omitted)

For the Filling:

1 cup (4 ounces) confectioner's sugar

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

For the Egg Wash:

1 egg, lightly beaten

pinch of salt

For the dough: Cut butter into 32 pieces and toss with 1 Tbsp. of the flour. Set aside to soften while mixing dough. Whisk remaining flour, milk powder,sugar and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add water and egg using the dough hook on medium low speed until a cohesive mass forms (about 2 minutes), scraping bowl as necessary. Cover with plastic and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and place loaf or cake pan on bottom of oven. Remove plastic from mixer bowl, add salt and mix on medium low speed until dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl (7 to 15 minutes). With mixer still running, add butter a few pieces at a time and continue to mix until butter is fully incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes longer. (If you're adding raisins do so now, mixing until incorporated about 30 to 60 seconds). Transfer dough to large greased bowl and fold dough over itself by gently lifting the edge of the dough and folding towards the middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees, fold again and continue turning and folding until you have folded 8 times total. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to middle rack of oven. Pour 3 cups of boiling water into the loaf pan in the bottom of the oven, close oven door and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Remove bowl from oven and gently press down on dough to deflate. Repeat folding step (another 8 times), re-cover, and return to oven until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

For the filling: Whisk filling ingredients together until well-combined; set aside.

Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide into 2 pieces. (If you have a scale - it's best to use to ensure even loaves). Working with one piece of dough, pat into a rough 6 x 11 inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, fold sides in like a business letter to form a 3 x 11 inch rectangle.

Roll dough away from you into a ball. Dust with flour, flatten with rolling pin into a 7 x 18 inch rectangle (with even 1/4 inch thickness).

Using spray bottle, spray dough lightly with water. Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture evenly over the dough, leaving 1/4 inch border on sides and 3/4 inch border on top and bottom. Spray filling lightly with water until speckled with water over entire surface.

With short side facing you, roll the dough away from you to form a cylinder, 

Then, turn loaf  seam side up and pinch closed. Pinch the ends closed too.

Dust the loaf lightly with flour on all sides and let rest for 10 minutes while you repeat these steps with the second half of the dough. Use a bench scraper to cut the loaf in half length-wise, turn halves so that the cut sides are facing upwards.

Gently stretch each half into 14 inch length.

Line up the two halves and pinch two ends together. Take piece on left and lay over the piece on the right.

Repeat, keeping cut side up, until the pieces of dough are tightly twisted. Pinch bottom ends together.

Transfer loaf, cut side up, to prepared loaf pan. (Press any exposed raisins, if using, into the seams of the braid.) Repeat with second loaf.

Cover loaves loosely with plastic, return to oven, and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Remove loaves and water pan from oven; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Allow loaves to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes longer. Top of loaves should rise about 1 inch over the lip of pan.

Brush with egg mixture.

Bake until loaf is well-browned, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, tent loaves with foil, and continue to bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees, about 15 to 25 minutes longer.  Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pan, return to rack,  and cool to room temperature before slicing.

Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls with Almond Cinnamon Sugar

These little pillows of deliciousness are adapted from a Paula Deen recipe. I just wanted to get that out of the way first. What does that mean? It means that they are not healthy and they have no nutritional value whatsoever. I'm certain that there is not a gram of fiber either, but what they lack in fiber, they make up for in fat. What's more is that my 'adaptation' actually served to add calories to a Paula Deen recipe. Is that even possible? The original recipe did not have a sugary almond topping to sprinkle on top. Clearly an oversight. But holy cow, are they good. Good and easy. The perfect Sunday morning treat to make post cereal consumption, when the rest of the house is busy doing Sunday things and you know you want to bake but don't feel like totally committing to the process. Meaning, you want the reward - but aren't willing to put in the work. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Recipe for Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls with Almond Cinnamon Sugar

(adapted from Paula Deen)

*yields 16 small rolls

1 tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

FILLING:

3 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

egg wash (1 egg white + 1 tsp. water)

GLAZE:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tsp. milk 

Mix together the confectioner's sugar, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside. Open the can of crescent rolls. Press two of the triangles together to create a rectangle, roll the seams together and stretch to approximately 7x4 inches. Smear with about 2 Tablespoons of cream cheese filling.

Roll up from the short end, place on plate, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm. 

While chilling, pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add cinnamon and sugar and mix well. Set aside. In separate bowl, make your egg wash by whisking together one egg white with 1 tsp. water. Set aside.

Remove chilled crescent rolls from fridge, brush with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with almond sugar mixture. Gently press mixture onto the rolls to adhere.  Cut each roll into four pieces.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart (they puff up when baked). 

Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. While cooling, make your glaze by adding 2 tsp. of milk to 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar. Mix until smooth. You may have to add a bit more milk to get desired consistency but do so sparingly. 

 Once rolls have cooled to room temperatures, drizzle with the glaze.

A word to the wise:  you really do want to let these cool a bit before eating. When they're still hot, the insides are bit doughy - you'll wonder whether they're under-baked. They're not...they just need to cool slightly. Patience...

Snickerdoodle Bread

I converted the Snickerdoodle Muffins from Tasty Kitchen into Snickerdoodle Bread. The muffins were so amazing (why I never blogged them I cannot say) - and so I decided to try them in loaf form. Why didn't I just make the muffins again? I dunno. I guess partly because I just wanted to experiment and partly because I recently made a Cinnamon Swirl Loaf that I saw on Pinterest and was very disappointed with the results. My failure plagued me - until I read some of the reviews and learned that I was not the only one who thought the recipe basically sucked.

Feeling the need for redemption in the loaf department, I decided to give the muffin recipe a twist. I didn't make any revisions to the ingredients or the amounts of the Snickerdoodle Muffins recipe, but instead of plopping the batter into a muffin tray, I dropped them into a loaf pan. I baked it for 55 minutes, and crossed my fingers. Guess what? Success! The loaf is just as good as the muffins. Although, I will say it has a delicate crumb, so you must handle with care. But the loaf version was just as delicious, so moist and light. If you'd rather try this in muffin form, you can see the original recipe with instructions in the link below. 

Recipe for Snickerdoodle Bread

(Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen)

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2-¼ cups flour

¾ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoons cream of tartar

½ teaspoons salt

1 cup sour cream

¼ cups buttermilk

For the Topping:

⅔ cups sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan generously with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy with a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter (approximately 1/4 cup) into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. 

Place the ball into the loaf pan. Continue until you have completed your first layer, completely covering the base of the loaf pan. Sprinkle about a Tablespoon of the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the first layer of batter. Continue scooping the remaining batter into the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and layer the batter into the pan. When you have used up all the batter, place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the loaf and press gently to squeeze out any air pockets between the dough scoops and to even out the loaf.

Sprinkle the loaf with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Bake the loaf for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I baked mine for 55 minutes but everyone's ovens are different, so watch closely and don't be fooled by the browned upper crust.) Allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the loaf from the pan and remove from pan over a piece of parchment (there will be some loose sugar that will fall out). Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing. *Note the loaf is delicate, so be gentle and it's better to cut into thicker slices so it won't fall apart.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I've surprised myself by really jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon this year. This is especially interesting when I've never been a pumpkin fan. I am, however beginning to see the light and these rolls deserve a lot of credit for that small feat. 

This recipe is very manageable. It makes 12 rolls, the dough is mixed in your stand mixer (no kneading), and it comes together very easily. The hardest part is waiting for your dough to rise - and really, that's not hard, it's just annoying. 

If you like pumpkin and all the spices that go along with baked pumpkin goods, this one is for you. Personally, while I definitely liked these, I still prefer the plain old fashioned cinnamon rolls. The plain white dough version with absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. 

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS
(adapted from Recipe Girl)
FOR THE ROLLS:

1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
2 cups bread flour
FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. melted butter
FOR THE FROSTING:
4 ounces of cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter in small sauce pan over low heat until just warm and butter is melted.

In bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin, 2 Tbsp. sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add warm milk mixture and beat until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.  Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Turn into medium sized bowl sprayed liberally with non-stick spray, turn dough over so that the top of it is greased, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with extra flour if it is too sticky. Roll into a rectangle approximately 12x10 inches.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Brush surface of dough with 2 Tbsp. of melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into twelve 1- inch slices. Place rolls, cut side up, into a greased 11x17 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes. 

Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until golden.  Cool 10 to 15 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, combine the frosting ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spread on slightly cooled buns. Serve. (Yields 12 rolls)

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

So I may have gotten carried away with the pictures.

But these cookies are so good. Buttery shortbread cookie dough, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, rolled up, and then sliced into cookies. Delicious, easy and super photogenic. 

The original recipe calls for a cream cheese glaze but I skipped that step. I don't think they need it - and I like to keep it simple. Plus, if I covered them in glaze, it would hide their pretty cinnamon sugar swirl. But if you like the sounds of a cream cheese glaze, knock your socks off. Only, I wouldn't put the glaze on until just before you serve them. I think it might make them soggy if stored with the glaze already on. But that's just my opinion. 

P.S. - I think they'd also be dynamite with a nutella filling. I'd try it myself but my little cookie eater has a nut allergy. Let me know if you go that route though - I'll live vicariously through you.

Recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cookies

(Source: adapted from Recipe Girl)

Cookie Dough:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Filling:
1 large egg white
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup granulated white sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar with the salt and vanilla. Slowly add the flour and mix until completely combined. Roll the dough into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle. Whisk the egg white with the water until bubbly. Brush generously onto the rectangle of dough (you won't use it all). In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture onto the dough. Roll the dough from the long end into a tight log. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate until hard. (At least an hour). Once hard, remove the log from the fridge and cut into cookies. 

Place cut cookies onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 8 to 12 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to wire rack.

Yields: 24 cookies

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Breads

This weekend my husband is in Vegas for a "golf"[insert  heavy sarcasm and an eye roll] trip with the boys. As per usual, my kids are both sick for his absence, rendering me completely at my children's mercy for 4 very long days. How does that happen?  Whenever my husband leaves, they always come down with something, undermining my confidence as a mother that I can run the show solo for a weekend.

To pass the time, I decided to pull out a recipe I've been dying to make for weeks. Only I decided to switch things up a bit. Instead of making one large loaf of pull-apart bread, why not cut the dough into smaller squares, and bake them in a muffin pan.I love the idea of a bread that you get to just pull small pieces off - but I like having my own little parcel to dissect and do with as I please. Besides, I don't feel like having my kids' sticky germ-infested fingers on my bread. They can have theirs, I can have mine, and we're all happy.

I followed the recipe as written until it came to the assembly. I brushed the dough with the butter, but found that I could only use about half, there was just too much butter to spread. So I reserved the excess butter for drizzling later. After sprinkling the sugar and cinnamon onto the dough, instead of cutting the dough into larger strips meant for a loaf pan, I cut them into small squares, approximately 2 inches.

Don't be too particular here. Just cut, you're just going to cram them into a muffin pan anyway, and the messier it is, the more rustic. 

Once my dough was all cut, I just started forming piles. I stacked them into 12 piles, as high as I could without them tumbling over.

Then I placed the piles sideways into a very well-greased muffin pan. 

I squeezed in the extra squares of dough, trying to even out the size of each. Now, I'm not going to lie. This is messy business. The sugar will fall out all over your counter. Don't be discouraged -  once my dough was evenly distributed in the muffin tray, I scraped up the lost sugar from my (otherwise clean) counter, and sprinkled it onto the bread.

I also drizzled the remaining butter that I didn't use earlier. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes (mine were perfect at 23 minutes). Now this is important - PUT A PAN UNDERNEATH TO CATCH ANY DRIPPINGS. Just do it. I, however, did not have the benefit of this wisdom: 

Please learn from my mistake. This was the single time this weekend I was actually glad my husband wasn't home. I could just see the look he'd be giving me as smoke billowed out of the oven and filled our kitchen and dining room. That look is not helpful. Nor is it appreciated. Once the smoke cleared and me and my kids were able to breath without coughing, and our eyes had stopped watering, this is what was waiting for us:

Totally worth the trouble. And the smoke damage. 

Recipe for Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Breads
(adapted from Joy the Baker)
For the Dough:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside. Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. (I got sick of stirring and dumped the whole mess onto my counter and kneaded it until it came together.) The dough will be sticky.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm space until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter. Set aside. Generously spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray. When you think you have enough, spray a little more.

Deflate the risen dough and turn onto a well-floured work surface, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to approximately 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Slice the dough vertically and horizontally, making 2 inch squares. Stack the squares on top of one another creating 12 piles. Place the piles sideways into the muffin tins, using up all the dough. Place a kitchen towel over the muffin pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes. (Mine did not double in size - but I went ahead and they were turned out great.)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place muffin pan in the oven WITH A PAN UNDERNEATH TO CATCH DRIPPINGS and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and carefully take out of the pan and place onto parchment paper.