Welcome to the Free Recipe of the Month!
Each month I feature a free recipe for visitors and regular subscribers. Once the month has passed, the recipe is retired into the BB Recipe Archives. So bake while the oven's hot! These recipes are only here and free for four short weeks!
A lightly sweetened dough with a cache of cinnamon sugar in each crevice. Feel free to add raisins or apple chunks. Toasted with butter and honey, this is just the thing for a frosty winter morning.
Sweet Dough
1 12 cups warm water
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 to 6 cups bread flour
Cinnamon Filling
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
Finishing Touches
1 egg, whisked
Granulated or coarse sugar
Fondant (icing sugar and water mixed or purchased soft fondant)
Generously spray a large or two medium loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
In a mixer large bowl, whisk together water and yeast. Add eggs, vanilla, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, sugar and most of flour. Mix until dough can be kneaded (8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic), dusting in more flour as required to make a soft dough. Place dough in a large, greased covered bowl and insert entire bowl in a large plastic bag. Let rise about 40 minutes. Gently deflate, cover with plastic or a tea towel and let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for the Cinnamon Filling, mix cinnamon and sugar together.
On a lightly floured work surface, pat the dough out into a large oval. Press in half sugar and cinnamon. Fold dough from four corners (more or less) to meet in center, making a square shape. Press, then flatten with a rolling pin and distribute remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Roll dough into a short, oblong shape and place in the prepared loaf pan (large). For smaller loaves, make two smaller oblongs. Using a sharp knife, make some top slit marks on top of the bread. Cover lightly with plastic bag and let rise until puffy (30-50 minutes).
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Brush bread with the egg wash and dust with sugar (granulated or coarse) and cinnamon. Bake until well browned - 40-45 minutes. Drizzle generously with fondant and let set.
Makes one large or two medium breads
