Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with dough hook (or strong arms for hand kneading)
• •9x5-inch loaf pan
• •Rolling pin
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Activate the yeast

   Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it feels like comfortable bathwater, around 110°F. If you don't have a thermometer, test it against your inner wrist. It should feel warm but not hot. Stir in a pinch of the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Let it sit for five minutes until the surface turns foamy and smells yeasty, like fresh bread is already on the way.

2. 2

   Build the dough

   In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, remaining granulated sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, softened butter, eggs, and vanilla. Using a dough hook on low speed or a sturdy wooden spoon, mix until a shaggy mass forms. The dough will look rough and unpromising. This is normal.

   Room temperature eggs matter here. Cold eggs will shock the yeast and slow the rise. Set them out an hour before you begin, or warm them in a bowl of lukewarm water for ten minutes.
3. 3

   Knead until supple

   Increase mixer speed to medium and knead for eight to ten minutes, or turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work it by hand for twelve to fifteen minutes. The finished dough should be soft, slightly tacky, and spring back when you poke it with your finger. It will pull away from the bowl cleanly and feel almost silky beneath your hands.

   Enriched doughs take longer to develop gluten because the fat coats the flour proteins. Be patient. The dough will seem hopeless for several minutes before suddenly transforming into something smooth and cooperative.
4. 4

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a buttered bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise until doubled in size, about one to one and a half hours. The dough is ready when an indentation made with your finger springs back slowly rather than immediately.

5. 5

   Prepare the filling

   While the dough rises, stir together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, breaking up any lumps with your fingers until the mixture is uniform and fragrant. The kitchen will start smelling like possibility. Have the melted butter ready alongside.

6. 6

   Roll out the dough

   Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan generously. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a rough rectangle, releasing the large gas bubbles. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle roughly 16 inches wide and 8 inches from top to bottom. The short side should match the length of your loaf pan. Work gently but with purpose.

   If the dough resists rolling and keeps springing back, let it rest under a towel for five minutes. The gluten will relax and cooperate.
7. 7

   Apply the cinnamon swirl

   Brush the entire surface of the dough with the melted butter, leaving a half-inch border along one of the long edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the buttered surface, pressing it gently into the dough with your palm. The filling should coat everything generously.

8. 8

   Roll and shape the loaf

   Starting from the long edge opposite your bare border, roll the dough toward you into a tight cylinder, using your thumbs to keep tension while your fingers guide the roll. When you reach the bare edge, pinch the seam firmly to seal. Tuck the ends under themselves, pinching again to seal, and place the loaf seam-side down in the prepared pan. The ends should nearly touch the short sides of the pan.

9. 9

   Second rise

   Cover the pan loosely with buttered plastic wrap and let the loaf rise in a warm spot until it domes about one inch above the rim of the pan, forty-five minutes to one hour. The dough should look puffy and soft, jiggling slightly when you tap the pan. Toward the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.

10. 10

    Apply egg wash and bake

    Gently brush the top of the risen loaf with the egg wash, taking care not to deflate the dough. Bake in the center of the oven for forty to forty-five minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final fifteen minutes.

    The internal temperature is your most reliable indicator of doneness. A properly baked loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11. 11

    Cool before slicing

    Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cinnamon filling remains molten hot inside for quite some time. Cutting too early releases steam that should stay in the bread, and the still-soft crumb will tear rather than slice cleanly. Wait at least one hour. The bread will reward your patience.

Chef Tips

• •Dark brown sugar produces a richer, more molasses-forward filling than light brown sugar. The slight bitterness balances the sweetness and creates a more complex flavor in the finished swirl.
• •For an even more tender crumb, replace half the milk with heavy cream. The additional fat produces a loaf that stays fresh longer and slices like a dream.
• •If your swirl separates from the bread during slicing, you likely rolled too loosely or didn't press the filling firmly enough into the dough. The next loaf, use your palm to really push that cinnamon sugar into the surface before rolling.
• •This bread makes transcendent French toast. Slice it thick, soak it well, and fry in butter. The cinnamon swirl already built into each slice means you need less spice in your custard.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made through the first rise, punched down, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated overnight. The cold slows the yeast without killing it. Remove from refrigerator, shape, and allow a longer second rise (about two hours) before baking.
• •The fully baked and cooled loaf wraps well and freezes for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature in its wrapping, then refresh in a 300°F oven for ten minutes.
• •Slice the whole loaf and freeze individual slices between parchment paper for quick toast access. They toast directly from frozen in about thirty seconds longer than fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 57g)