I woke up this morning with a craving for cinnamon toast. Actually, I should say that I woke up at 3 AM with a craving for cinnamon toast, but managed to convince myself that I should probably not wake up the other tenants in the building by running the KitchenAid at 3 AM. I’m considerate like that [grin].
Cinnamon Swirl Bread has a long story in my life. My best-friend-forever’s mother has always made great Cinnamon Bread. Back in high school, I think that I begged her for the recipe at least once per week. Twenty five years later, I still have never gotten that recipe, but my own baking skills have gotten much better so that I grokked my own. This time I added cardamom as well. Cardamom always reminds me of a Swedish friend of the family, who makes this amazing cardamom cake. So between the two things (cinnamon and cardamom), this bread is one of those walks down memory lane.
Ingredients
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature
for the filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoons ground cardamom
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
Directions
Make the dough: Set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, toss the 2 and 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.
Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to touch, about 100-110F. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough (you might not need the full reserved 1/2 cup). Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Form a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray). Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap or a dish towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45-60 minutes.
Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with baking spray, line with a parchment paper sling and then spray again. Set aside.
On a well floured counter, roll the dough out in a 18×8 inch rectangle, as thin and evenly as possible. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon, cardamom and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. As tightly as you can, roll the dough into a log. Pinch together the final seam and then place, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap or a dish towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for another 45-60 minutes.
After the loaf has nearly doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits on top. Brush with milk. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown. Check often and remove from oven once the top is crispy and the inside is cooked all the way through (the inside temperature should be around 180F). If the top is getting too dark, cover lightly with aluminum foil. Let cool for a minimum of 20 minutes in the pan before removing with the sling.
