Monday, August 13, 2018

Cinnamon Bread








Cinnamon powder is believed to be one of the healthiest spices as it can lower blood sugar levels, reduce heart disease risk factors and has other health benefits. I use Ceylon (versus the Cassia variety) cinnamon powder mainly to add aroma and flavour to my rolls, buns, kringles and breads. I just love the aroma which permeates my house when I am baking. Usually, I will bake cinnamon rolls for my family. But for a change I decided to bake cinnamon bread using the recipe for the rolls.


Ingredients:

Dough:
  • 2 tsp yeast
  • 100 ml warm water
  • 50 g castor sugar (I use brown sugar.)
  • 100 ml milk
  • 75 g butter, melted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 450 - 500 g all-purpose flour

Spread:
  • Mix the following into a paste:
    • 75 g butter, softened
    • 80 g castor sugar (I use brown sugar.)
    • 2 tbsp cinnamon powder

Method:
  • Activate the yeast. Put the warm water into a bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Sprinkle some sugar onto the solution and wait for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to be activated.
  • Put the remaining sugar, milk, butter, salt and egg into your mixing bowl.
  • Add in the activated yeast.
  • Add in the flour, a little at a time and knead until the dough is smooth and forms into a ball. At this point, it should be easy to handle. (You may not need to use all of the all-purpose flour.)
  • Grease a bowl. Transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put a wet towel over the cling wrap.
  • Let the dough proof for an hour or until it doubles in size.
  • Grease and line the bread pan 10 inches x 4 inches x 4 inches.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down.
  • Roll it out into a big rectangle.
  • Spread the cinnamon paste onto the dough.
  • Cut the dough into smaller rectangles measuring about 3 inches x 4 inches.
  • Stack them up vertically in the bread pan.
  • Cover the pan with cling wrap and put a wet towel over the cling wrap. Let the dough proof till double in size.
  • Pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees Centigrade.
  • Bake your dough for 30 minutes.
  • Remove your cinnamon bread from the bread pan and let it cool down completely on the wire rack.