Took this out of the oven about an hour ago and it is absolutely
delicious. When I had made it before I had problems with gaps in between
the swirls. Well I tried a suggestion I had seen (included after the
instructions) and it worked perfect. I have made the changes in the
filling ingredients as suggested. Absolutely no gaps in between the swirls
-- but make sure you roll it up tightly. I doubled the recipe (included)
as I didn't think 2 1/2 cups of flour would give me a very big loaf. I have
included in parenthesis any changes, etc. I made).
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
Cinnamon Filling:
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter, softened
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Double Recipe
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 cups bread flour (had to add 2 Tbsp extra bread flour)
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, softened
Add ingredients to bread machine and process on Dough cycle. (If you double
the recipe help the machine out when it starts mixing the ingredients as
this is a lot of flour. Take a rubber spatula and run it along the edges of
the pan helping mix the ingredients until the dough starts coming together.
Open the lid after about 10 minutes and check the dough consistency. I had
to add 2 extra Tbsp of flour to the double recipe).
While dough is mixing, prepare cinnamon filling. Combine sugar and cinnamon
in small bowl (easier if this mixture is put in a jar with holes to
sprinkle evenly). Set butter out to soften.
When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to lightly buttered work
surface and roll into a ball. Let it rest for 10 minutes. (I like to put my
dough in a plastic dough rising bucket I got from King Arthur. It rises
beautifully in there and doesn't dry out at all like it does if I just
cover it and let it rest).
Roll out dough into a 14 x 7 inch rectangle. (If you double the recipe cut
the dough in half and roll out each half into a 14 x 7 inch rectangle).
Spread softened butter on dough; sprinkle cinnamon filling on top. (Pat it
down really well with your hands). Beginning from long end of dough, roll
up tightly as for a jelly roll. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place, seam
side down in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. (With the double recipe, I rolled
up each filled half and then laid the two ropes side by side. Starting in
the middle I twisted the top two together and pinched the two ends and
rolled it under and then twisted the bottom and pinched the ends and rolled
slightly under. I then placed it in my adjustable bread loaf pan that I
adjusted to about 13 inches). Cover and let rise in warm draft free place
about 1 hour or till doubled in size. (Right before placing in the oven, I
brushed the loaf with cornstarch mixture (2 1/2 Tbsp water and 1/2 tsp
cornstarch) and sprinkled top with sugar.
Bake in preheated 375 F 25 to 30 minutes or until done to about 190-200 F.
(I doubled the recipe so had to bake for about an hour (I forgot to take
oven off of preheat for first 25 minutes, though, so I'm not sure that a
whole hour is needed. I always use my digital thermometer to check the
internal temperture and with this bread you really need to check internal
temperature as it was nice and brown after 30 minutes but only about 120 F
internally. The top browned before the bread was ready so I had to cover
the top with foil to prevent it from burning). Remove from pan and let cool
on wire rack. If desired, brush top of loaf with additional butter while
hot; sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar. Or you can drizzle with a
glaze.
P.S. You asked about the gaps in cinnamon swirl bread. Cooks Illustrated
has an article written by Susan Logozzo on cinnamon swirl bread in its
September/October 1998 issue. The article offers a cinnamon bread recipe as
well as a variation for cinnamon rolls. I quote the sections of the
write-up that address the Gap Issue: "The amount of filling was determined
by one factor besides taste.
I discovered that using too much more than one-quarter cup of the
cinnamon-sugar mixture resulted in small separations between the filling
and the bread because the excess sugar prevented the dough from staying
together. I eventually discovered that one-quarter cup of sugar mixed with
five teaspoons of cinnamon resulted in a tasty bread with no gaps.
Rosemary