Cinnamon Swirl Bread
I’ve said it before, but there are few things I find more comforting than bread. Especially when there’s a cinnamon swirl vein running right through it. It’s delightful as is, but especially with a fair helping of butter melted into its soft rolls. It can also transform into the most beautiful French Toast after which, I can’t help but love it all over again.
After being gifted a Bosch Mixer for Christmas, I’ve been on a break baking kick, and a cinnamon raisin loaf was top of my list. This seemed like a perfectly great idea until I discovered I had no raisins the day I made it. So walnuts were my substitution, and a scrumptious substitution they were indeed.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe Details:
- The recipe I used for my loaf is this Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe by Bosch Mixers (recipe by Faith Henke). I didn’t vary much from this recipe so I’m simply linking it here and will share my variations below.
- This recipe is specifically written for a Bosch Mixer. However, I’m certain it can be made with another mixer or by hand if you choose. If using a different mixer or mixing by hand, you want to look for gluten formation versus how many minutes are listed in the recipe for the dough to become “smooth and elastic”.
- In the recipe, it says 5-6 minutes of kneading. If mixing by hand, I would add an additional 2-3 minutes of kneading time. Once you think the dough is smooth and elastic, tear off a small ball of dough and stretch between your fingers. If it doesn’t tear apart easily and does indeed “stretch”, then gluten has formed, and you can move on. Otherwise, keeping kneading until it does.
- After rolling my dough into a rectangle, I lightly brushed the entirety of the rectangle with melted butter. I then sprinkled a light layer of brown sugar evenly over the rectangle as well (versus just down the center of the dough as the recipe states). After this, I sprinkled with chopped walnuts. I then rolled the loaf starting on the short end and placed in my bread pan to rise. This will feel very similar to making cinnamon rolls (except with those, you roll on the long end).
- Finally if making this loaf again, I would brush the risen loaf with egg wash prior to the oven to give it an extra lush golden color. So I’d recommend to do so if you make it.
After baking, I’d highly recommend forcing yourself to wait at least 10-15 minutes before tearing into this loaf. For one, I don’t want you to burn your mouth. Secondly, you want to actually be able to taste the flavor not just heat. But seriously, what you do after those 10-15 minutes is entirely up to you!
