Cinnamon bread
Well, I am knocking out my goals one by one. This week I am working on baking breads. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to start on a yummy dessert bread. This one was awesome. It is great for dessert, breakfast or just because you want something to eat.
I have never really been patient enough to bake breads. You have to let them sit and rise for a couple of hours and I tend to get so impatient that I don’t let them rise and they turn out deformed and tough. So the other day I was determined to make this bread exactly like the recipe said, and it turned out beautifully.
This recipe is once again from Pioneer Woman. I haven’t tried a recipe of her’s that I didn’t love and this one didn’t disappoint. If you haven’t started reading her blog daily you must start now. I’m not sure how I cooked without her.
Just a warning. Make sure you have plenty of time to make this before you start baking. You will need about 5 1/2 hours total. And don’t cut corners. It needs all the time that the recipe says.
Cinnamon bread
adapted from Pioneer Woman
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons salted butter
2 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 eggs
1/3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Cinnamon
egg wash (1 egg and a little water mixed together)
2 tablespoons softened butter for greasing
About 30 min to an hour before you start cooking remove your eggs and butter from the refrigerator so the eggs can get to room temperature and the butter can soften.
In a small pan combine the 6 tbs butter and milk and warm but don’t boil. Let it cool to where it is just warm not hot. Add in the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes to wake the yeast up.
In a bowl combine the flour and salt.
In your stand mixer with your paddle attachment mix together the sugar and eggs until combined.
Pour in the yeast mixture and stir. When combine pour in half of the flour mixture and beat on medium until it comes together. Pour the remaining flour in and mix it until combined.
Switch to your dough hook and let it knead for 10 minutes. Mine was fine at this point but if it’s too sticky add a couple of tablespoons of flour until it is easier to handle.
Coat a large bowl with oil, put your dough in it and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm, draft free place for 2 hours. In my house this is my oven (not turned on).
Combine your cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
After it has risen turn it out onto your cabinet and roll it out into a rectangle being sure it isn’t wider than your bread pan.
Cover the dough with your softened butter and then pour the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the butter. Roll the dough into a log starting from the far end and rolling it in towards yourself.
Pinch the seam to seal.
Use nonstick spray or butter to grease your loaf pan and place the dough into the pan. Cover again with a damp towel, place it in a warm place and let it rise for another 2 hours.
If your not using your oven to house your rising bread preheat your oven to 350. If you are wait until it is done rising, remove the dough and preheat your oven.
Cook the bread for 40 minutes on the lower rack of your oven.
Allow the bread to cool and try not to eat it all at once.