As you step into the house the insatiable smell assails your senses, and your mouth begins to water. You know something good is cooking, and the cinnamon entices you to the kitchen. Sitting in the middle of the table a large loaf of tantalizing cinnamon bread sits, calling your name. You quickly grab a knife and plate and slice through the succulent, moist bread; and without even bothering to butter it you take a huge bite, savoring the warm, cinnamon flavor exploding in your mouth. There is nothing like home-made baked cinnamon bread…
Everyone wishes to be able to bake cinnamon bread like grandma used to make it, especially when the holidays grow near. There is nothing like the smell of cinnamon to warm your house with feelings of contentment. What makes the bread even better is when you don’t have to buy it from the store but make it yourself from scratch. Making bread from scratch can be overwhelming, but if you following the steps below you are sure to not only make a delectable loaf of cinnamon bread but enjoy yourself in the process (not to mention being able to boast about it to your friends and neighbors).
Ingredients’ Checklist
Dry Ingredients
¼ ounce packet “highly active” dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup nonfat dry milk
½ cup instant mashed potato flakes
Fill Ingredients
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons unbleached All-Purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Before you begin to bake your cinnamon bread you need to make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients. Follow your Ingredient Checklist to ensure high quality bread.
Yeast
First, make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature. Dissolve ¼ ounce of yeast with a pinch of salt in 2 tablespoons of water for 15 minutes. The salt will act as a fuel to help activate the yeast, and once the yeast has begun to bubble and expand you are ready to start mixing ingredients.
Ingredients
Next, you need to add the water, flour, salt, sugar, butter, milk, and potato flakes and mix until completely combined. If you are using a mixer, allow a few minutes to pass before kneading the bread so as to give enough time for the flour to be fully activated by the liquid. Knead the dough for at least 7 minutes or until a ball is formed, adding water and/or flour if dough is sticky. Remember, though, the more water and flour you add the heavier and drier your bread will turn out. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a towel, allowing it to rise for 1 to 2 hours. Next, punch the dough and freeze it for 30 minutes to stiffen it up and make it less sticky when rolling.
Baking
Once the dough is chilled roll it out on a lightly greased surface, forming a 6” by 20” rectangle; and lightly brush the top of the dough with the large egg and water mixture. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Sprinkle over the dough evenly and tightly roll the dough in a cylinder, tucking the ends under the edges. Next, transfer your dough to a light greased 8 1/2” by 4 ½” pan and allow it to rise until the dough is about 1” above the pan. While your dough is rising preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has fully risen place it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, lightly tenting it after the first 15 minutes. The bread is finished once the top is a golden brown. Remove it from the oven and loosen up the side with a butter knife. Remove the cinnamon bread from the pan and brush the top with butter, completing your tantalizing and mouthwatering cinnamon bread masterpiece.
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