prep: 2 hours 30 minutes
cook: 35 minutes
cool: 40 minutes
After years of baking at home and now developing recipes for the bakery, I’ve learned something about myself: I’ll pretty much take cinnamon in any form, especially when it’s swirled inside a warm, buttery bread. What I love about this recipe is that it yields a bread that isn’t so sweet that it can’t be enjoyed for breakfast but is still sweet enough to curb any after-dinner cravings. Making bread can seem like an intimidating task, but the hands-on work for this recipe is only about 30 minutes. That’s what I call a win-win.
bread
¼ cup warm water (95° to 110ºF)
One ¼-ounce packet active dry yeast
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3¾ cups bread flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup warm whole milk (100ºF)
Cooking spray
filling
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
⅔ cup sugar
egg wash
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk
1. To make the bread: In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, and the salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the yeast mixture, butter, and milk. Allow to mix for about 1 minute, then turn the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough forms into a ball, about 5 minutes.
3. Spray a medium bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, to make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
5. Spray two 8 × 4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
6. Punch down the dough to release the air, then divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough out into an 8 × 16-inch rectangle.
7. To make the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash all over the surface of the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle with half of the filling.
8. Starting with a shorter side, tightly roll the dough away from yourself. Place the loaf seam side down in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second dough ball, some more egg wash (reserve and refrigerate the remaining egg wash), and the remaining filling. Place seam side down in the other prepared pan.
9. Lightly cover each pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise for about 1 hour.
10. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
11. Gently remove the plastic wrap from the dough and brush the tops with the reserved egg wash. Bake until the bread is a dark golden color, about 35 minutes. You can also test for doneness by turning it onto the counter and thumping it (it is done if it sounds hollow) or by inserting a thermometer into the loaf—it should read between 190° and 200°F.
12. Let the bread cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes more before slicing.
13. Store in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes 2 loaves