We had a couple of requests for bread recipes this past week so I thought I’d be obliging and share our Cinnamon Swirl bread. This is the bread that my daughter asks for almost every morning of the week. It’s fantastic toasted and supremely decadent served up as french toast. I’ve used both dried cranberries and raisins as a filler, but it would be fantastic with diced dates or prunes, dried apples, or any other dried fruit, and seed. I hope you enjoy!
My recipe is based on this one published in Bread Baker’s Apprentice and shared by Smitten Kitchen. I’ve altered it to suit my family’s needs.
Makes one two-pound loaf
- 2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1-1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups room temperature water
- 2 Tbsp oil for bowl
- 1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tsp cinnamon
I always add 1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter (the perfect way to use up “waste” when you’re feeding it). You can also substitute 1 Tbsp of whey for water.
- In a large bowl mix all of your dry ingredients.
- In your mixing bowl add honey, butter, yogurt, and one cup water. If you’re adding sourdough starter, now’s the time to add it. If you’re using a stand mixer jump to the next step. For hand mixing, make a well in your flour combination and start adding your liquids. When your dough forms a nice ball and no flour remains you’ve added enough liquid. Sprinkle a workspace with extra flour and work your dough for 8-10 minutes. The ball should be slightly tacky and springy. Skip the next step
- If you’re using a stand mixer you can begin adding about 1/3 of the dry mixture using your paddle. Once that’s very well incorporated switch over to your dough attachment. Continue adding flour until the dough begins to work up your hook. You’ve added enough dry mixture when the dough resembles a tornado and the sides of the bowl are clean. Allow the dough to mix on medium speed for about 5-6 more minutes.
- Oil a bowl (I like grape seed oil but have used olive oil as well) and roll dough in the bowl to cover with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Lightly sprinkle flour on workspace and gently roll out dough. Very carefully pull and shape the dough to form a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches. You don’t want to release any of the air trapped in the dough by handling the dough roughly. Drizzle your honey all over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with your dried fruit and finally the cinnamon.
- Carefully roll up the rectangle of dough to form the swirls and set inside an oiled bread pan. Cover pan and allow to rise for another hour or until bread rises just past the top of the pan. During the last 20 minutes of rising, set your oven to 350 F.
- Bake bread for 30 minutes. Turn bread around for even baking and finish baking for another 10-15 minutes or when internal temperature reaches 205 F.
- When bread is done baking, turn out immediately on a cooling rack and try to be patient before you cut into it. Okay, okay, 10 minutes should be okay but a half hour is even better!
Slice off a good hunk and top with some homemade butter and, if you have a real sweet tooth, a drizzle of honey and enjoy!!
You can find Jennifer over at Unearthing This Life where she blargs about her life with one Kid, one Hubby, two cats, and seven chickens. Yes, the boys are outnumbered.
I love LOVE to make bread and this one looks divine! I’ve never made bread with yogurt…hmmm, something new to try..yay!
I will definitly try this breakfast bread. It sounds abolutly decadent. I have some dried peaches from a neighbor, and a few other dried fruits that I can throw in.
Thank you so very much for your “secret” recipe, it ain’t no secret no more! lol
Can testify that this bread is yummy!
Question – does the sourdough starter replace something on the ingredient list or is it an extra optional ingredient?
Prairie Mother, the yogurt replaces the dried milk in the original recipe. I find the addition of wheat germ balances the moisture content.
Denimflyz- let me know what you think of the recipe!
Mom, both the sourdough starter and the whey are optional.
Trying this one for sure. May get good at this yeast thing.
Wow, this looks good. Now that cooler temperatures are here, I’m in the mood to bake again!
Yummmmm – this looks absolutely divine and just in time for the cooler weather of fall.
Thanks for sharing!