Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I always like to make a little something special for breakfast on holidays. I think I have mentioned it before but it is that whole tradition associated with holiday thing with me.


The boys and I had a great time making this bread. The nice thing about making bread with the kids is that since the bread needs a couple rises, there are breaks that they can play and it doesn't seem like drudgery. My boys both love to measure and pour the ingredients. They love to turn on the mixer and give the dough some kneading. H especially loves to smell the ingedients and what we are making along the way. They both enjoyed rolling out the dough and patting the filling on. Really, I think they like making bread because it is so hands on.


This dough is really great to work with. It comes together really nicely. It also seemed easy to roll out. The hardest part for me was making sure it was the right measurements (8x16) before adding the filling and rolling up into a loaf shape.


This recipe had some tips that were different than any that I have seen for a swirl type of bread. They really helped though. The first was to use an egg wash vs. butter to help keep the bread from unravelling when slicing. Butter acts as a barrier between the pieces of rolled-up dough, preventing them from cohering, and giving you bread that "unravels" when you cut it. On the other hand, the protein in egg acts like glue, cementing the bread and filling together, and allowing much less (though still a bit) unraveling. The second is to blend the sugar, cinnamon and raisins until smooth. This well help the filling be more cohesive and moist as well as add a subtle flavor. I used a small food processor. Again, a small appliance that boys love to operate.


The filling makes this bread moist and the flavor is oh.so.good! Yum! This bread is also different, and better, than store-bought because of the topping. 


The house smelled out of this world while it was baking! 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
King Arthur Flour
Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup water


Filling
egg wash, made from 1 egg  with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins or currants
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour


Topping
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour


In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing till the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough with an electric mixer for 2 minutes; allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then continue kneading it for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until it's smooth. If you're kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface; knead it for 3 minutes; allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then continue kneading till smooth, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; it'll be puffy, if not doubled in bulk.


Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into a long, thin rectangle, about 16 x 8 inches. Brush the dough with some of the beaten egg, combine the filling ingredients, and pat them gently onto the dough. Beginning with a short edge, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the side seam and ends closed (to keep the filling from bubbling out), and place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or a dough-rising cover, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour at room temperature, or until it's crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.


In a small bowl or mini processor, combine the streusel ingredients, cutting in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. If you're using a mini processor, watch carefully; streusel will go from crumbly to a cohesive mass in just a second or so. Brush the loaf with some (or all) of the remaining beaten egg, and gently press on the streusel.


Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, tenting the loaf lightly with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes or so if it appears to be browning too quickly. Remove the loaf from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, gently remove it from the pan. Some of the streusel will fall off, but you cal alleviate this by first loosening all around the edges of the loaf with a knife, then turning the pan on its side and gently pulling it away from the loaf. Streusel will continue to fall off as you maneuver the bread  but you'll still be left with some nice, sweet topping.

Honey Oat Bread

For whatever reason, I remembered this bread. I used to make it pretty often, then I forgot about it. I am glad I thought about it again. The boys, C and H, have gone crazy for it. They eat it as sandwiches for lunch and with peanut butter and honey for breakfast. It is very good toasted. That is how I have been eating it for breakfast.

Instead of making two loaves, I split the dough and made a loaf and bread and rolls. The boys also loved those. It probably helped that I whipped up a quick batch of honey butter ( 1/4 salted butter and 2-3 tablespoons honey).

This bread is a little more involved but it is oh so good. It is soft with a nice texture. The honey  gives the bread a slight sweetness. The oats, a tender chew.

Take the time and try this bread.

Honey Oat Bread
Adapted from The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookbook

2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 packet yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

Pour boiling water over the oats in a large bowl and set aside to soak until all the water has been absorbed and the mixture is lukearm, stirring occasionally.

About 5 minutes before getting started with the bread, add the yeast to the warm water in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let sit about 3 minutes, until frothy.

Stir the honey, oil, and 2 teaspoons salt into the softened oats, then stir in the dissolved yeast mixture.

Using either a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand, stir in 4 1/2 cups flour. Mix or knead (by hand)additional flour until a pliable but firm dough forms, one that is sticky but is stiffer than most white breads. The amount of flour will depend on the humidity and the brand of flour. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Grease a large bowl, gather the dough into a ball, place in the bowl and turn the dough so it is coater. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough. Divide in half and shape into a loaf or rolls. Place the loaf or rolls into a greased pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Once doubled, bake loaves at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Bake rolls at 375 degrees, 15-20 minutes.
Let loaves cool completely before slicing.

Sandwich Bread

I got a Zojirushi Bread Machine a little over a year ago and I can count the number of times we have bought a loaf of bread, since then, on one hand. I got the bread machine because I wanted to know the ingredients in our bread. Up until a month ago, or so, we made the bread in the machine. Now I make the dough in the machine and finish it off in a Pain de Mie (Pullman) Pan. It creates a loaf with square corners, and more similar in size to a store-bought loaf. The boys seem to like it better, for whatever reason. As you can see, the loaf turns out beautiful when baked in the pan. I ONLY use King Arthur Flour. I also use their specialty products that improve the loaf and nutrition.

Sandwich Bread


1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Hi-maize
1/4 cup potato flour, I use King Arthur
3 3/4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup powdered milk, I use Baker's Special Dry Milk
1 tablespoon Diastatic Malt Powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons yeast


In pan of bread machine, put in water. Mix next seven ingredients, Hi-maize through salt. I use a lidded container and shake it up. Pour flour mixture on top of water. Make a well in the center of the flour and put in yeast. Slice up butter and sprinkle in pan. I put the butter around the edges.
Use dough cycle and complete cycle.


For Pain de Mie


Grease pan, shape loaf into log, place in pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until just below lip of pan ~ 45 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350º. Let dough rest with cover of pan on. Bake 25 minutes, remove lid, bake 20 minutes more. Remove from pan and let cool completely.