Old World Charm - Modern Living Cinnamon Roll Bread

Cinnamon Roll Bread

This recipe is derived from The Pioneer Woman cinnamon roll recipe - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp yeast (I use quick rise)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup flour
1/4 heaping tsp baking powder
1/4 almost tsp baking soda
1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar (I prefer 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, but either works)
cinnamon to sprinkle over top
*optional chopped nuts of your choice (if you choose to use nuts, know that the bread will fall apart very easy)

Pan used is an 8x4" loaf pan

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Stick in microwave for about 1 minute. The time varies. You want it warm enough you can add the yeast without scorching, but not cool enough that the yeast won't react. I have found 1 minute works great for my microwave.

Mix in 3 teaspoons yeast, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp cinnamon (you can leave out, but I like the bread to also include the cinnamon), and 2 cups all-purpose flour.

Set it aside for one hour. I cover it with some plastic to keep warm and activate the yeast further like above.

 

After an hour, add in 1/4 cup flour (bowl change = magic! and not that this took a few batches to perfect), 1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 almost teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt.

Mix up, cover with plastic wrap, and set bowl in the fridge overnight. You can make it now, but the bread has such a better flavor and texture if you can set it overnight. Also then helps you not to have to do a thousand steps at once. You can forget it for a few days in the fridge and the texture will be delicious.

(Bowl change magic! I'm mad in love with this stoneware. Signature Housewares Sorrento.) 

The second day, take it out of the fridge and pat out. I prefer to pat versus roll because I feel like I'm smooshing all the nummies out of the bread. Also I'm more of a rustic cook who prefers limiting usage of modern items. Just the way I am when I cook. Unless my hands hurt.

I pat/press out to maybe 1/4-1/2" thick. I don't really calculate. No science to this as far as I'm concerned. I just want it flat and semi-rectangular.  Slightly thicker will just give you more bread between the layers, versus butter and cinnamon layers. I think it may cook better with a little thicker. Personal choice here. We don't need no rules!

Take your 1/4 cup softened butter (I didn't measure this round, just generously smothered it on) and spread out to the very edge. Not too thin, not too thick. Goldilocks would be proud of you. Just. so.

Then add your 1/4 cup sugar. You can see I used brown this round and decided I like that best. White or a substitute sugar can be used. If I had baking Truvia, I would've tried that for my mom's benefit.

Finally sprinkle your cinnamon. Amount depends entirely on you, but don't be too generous. You'll gag. We don't want gagging.

You can see by the above picture, I do a semi-rectangular piece. And you'll also note that I have plenty of flour all over the place. I don't mind being generous to keep it from sticking on the bottom. If you want to add some nuts, go for it. Just make sure they aren't too big, or too much. The bread separates very easy when cooking with too many, and then you have a huge mess on your hands. But it's still good!

Ask me how I found that out.

 

Roll it up. See? No perfection there!

I took this to show you how you're going to roll the ends up. This is an upside down view. This is how you're going to put it into the pan (8x4" loaf pan).

When you're done rolling, have your seam on the bottom, then roll/tuck the two ends underneath the main roll. Just almost until touching. Doesn't have to be perfect, but if they are too far apart, you'll end up with bread that is tall on the outside and then short on the very center.

Ask me how I learned that lesson.

Then place the roll into the pan. Try to have it in the center just to help it rise evenly. 

Optional, smother top with butter as I did above.

Here is a trick to how I rise, then cook. Put oven on warm (or 120*) and let it warm up while you're rolling the dough out. Then turn off oven once warmed a little. Place dough as the above picture, into oven and set for 30 minutes to rise. Without removing the dough, after 30 minutes, turn oven on to 400*. Easy!

Or just set dough aside 30 minutes to rise, then cook.

Cook for 15 minutes-20 minutes until the top is a brown you like, I think darker brown is the best flavor, but at least do it until past the golden stage or you'll have to cook longer in your second step. Cover loosely with foil, cook 20-30 minutes more.

You want to cook long enough that the center cooks, but because it's got butter, the center may still remain a little uncooked looking in spots even when cooked. I've found 20 minutes, top with foil (doesn't have to be tight, just so oven doesn't brown top anymore) then 20 minutes again works for me.

Set aside to cool (hard part!)

 

Pause to point out this little lovely item. Because I try to not spend ALL day (as much as I love it) in the kitchen, I do the above when I have to work with dough, breads, etc. It's also because we have limited space and dinner usually needs to go there right after. I will cover the cutting board with plastic wrap before I start. I use a few pieces of tape to seal it down underneath. Then when I'm done all I have to do is take the plastic wrap off and it's clean. Lovely. Just lovely.

This is the most delicious snack.

If you try it, let me know. There are a lot of steps, but this is actually a really easy bread to make. I have made it a bunch of times and it doesn't last but a few days.

You can also cut out the part with the cinnamon, butter, and sugar, then just have it rolled up plain. Still delicious.