One of my favorite things about the holidays – besides the abundance of sugary treats, festive decor and good cheer – is having extra time to bake. And bake I did, though not nearly as much as I anticipated. It’s just as well … our cupboards and freezer are stuffed with sweets.
The baking began on Tuesday evening, the official start of my Christmas vacation. First up, a cinnamon pecan tart spiked with Baileys. I dreamed up this dessert for a Pottery Barn shoot a few weeks ago but never got around to writing out the recipe. Jason loved it so much that he requested I make another to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
On Wednesday morning, I whipped up some cinnamon rolls to bring to a potluck brunch with friends. We had to be out of the house and on the road by 11 a.m., so I chose a quick, no-rise version. If I wasn’t in such a rush, I would have snapped a few photos of them and the cinnamon pecan tart for the blog – both are drool-worthy.
And on Saturday, I baked this cinnamon swirl bread flecked with dried cranberries. Because there is just a touch of butter and no egg in the dough, it’s soft yet sturdy. Smear it with jam or turn it into French toast or bread pudding. Any way you slice it, this cinnamon swirl bread will go fast, so enjoy it!
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
- ½ cup craisins (dried cranberries)
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
- Demerara sugar (optional)
- Put the craisins in a small bowl and cover them with hot water; let them plump for at least 10 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup soaking liquid.
- Pour reserved soaking liquid into a large bowl. Add the yeast and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat milk until warm - about 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Add the warmed milk, butter, salt and flour to the yeast mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it’s smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (or less if using a stand mixer).
- Toss the plumped craisins with 1 tablespoon flour to absorb any residual moisture.
- Roll out dough to a 10"x8" rectangle. Sprinkle half of the craisins in the center third of the rectangle. Fold one short edge of the dough over the craisins to cover them and pat down firmly. Sprinkle the remaining craisins on top of the folded-over dough. Fold the other short edge of the dough over the craisins to cover them and pat down firmly. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes to evenly distribute the craisins.
- Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.
- After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a 16"x12" rectangle.
- Brush the entire surface with egg wash, leaving a 1" border around the edges. Sprinkle filling in an even layer over the top of the dough. Roll the dough up lengthwise into a long log and pinch seam to seal. Bring the ends together, forming a teardrop-shaped loop, and gently twist. Carefully transfer the twisted dough to the prepared pan.
- Cover loaf with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- About 15 minutes before dough has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush top of loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. If the top of the loaf gets too brown before it is done baking, cover loosely with foil.
- Remove pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then turn out bread onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Love cinnamon swirl breads! You definitely have inspired me to make this recipe today.. as I want a slice for breakfast tomorrow morning!
You are always too sweet, Thalia! Have fun baking!
This is similar to a Romanian traditional bread called cozonac. It’s delicious and such a great alternative for breakfast! Pinned!
Its beautiful! I’m still looking for the soft milky bread like hokkaido bread and this looks like it!
Thank you, MyThy! The crumb of this bread is actually much firmer. You may want to try Kirbie’s Cravings Soft and Fluffy Milk Toast – I made it a while ago and loved it.
When you twist the teardrop loop, about how many twists? How tight should the initial roll and following twists be? Thanks so much, very excited to try!!
Hi Irene – Roll the dough tightly into a log and twist the teardrop-shaped loop 1-2 times. Hope that helps – and enjoy!