Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Look at that cinnamon swirl!
Sweet and perfect for breakfast, this cinnamon swirl bread tastes like French toast while being soft and pillowy. You do not need to be intimidated by this recipe. It comes together in one bowl by hand or you can use your stand mixer. Your house will smell delicious as this bakes up. You can omit the cinnamon swirl if you want a lightly-sweet oatmeal bread that is similar to the Honey Oat bread at a certain fast-food sandwich establishment that is also a mode of underground public transit (wink). This recipe doubles like a dream and freezes really well. I hope you love it!
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup of hot water (between 100 and 110 degrees)
1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats (also known as rolled oats)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon instant or quick-rise yeast
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups of bread flour (you can also use all-purpose)
Cinnamon Swirl:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the oats, honey, butter, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the hot water over the mixture and stir until the honey is dissolved and the butter is melted.
Add the yeast and the flours and mix until a shaggy dough has formed. Turn the dough onto your counter and knead until the dough is smooth and has some resistance to it. This should take about 10 minutes by hand or about 5-8 minutes with the dough hook in your stand mixer. Form the dough into a tight ball.
Coat a large bowl with a bit of neutral oil. I just use the same mixing bowl to avoid extra dishes. Transfer the dough ball to the bowl and coat the top with a bit of the oil. Cover the bowl with lightly-greased plastic wrap or a clean tea-towel and let it rise rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will take about an hour depending on how warm your kitchen is.
While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt together. Set aside.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough onto your counter. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a rectangle that is about 10 inches long by 6 inches wide. It doesn’t have to be exact. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar onto the top of the loaf leaving about half an inch border along the top. If you are feeling frisky, you can drizzle a little maple syrup on top of the cinnamon sugar too. You could also add 1/4 cup of raisins if you feel so inclined! Fold in the left and the right side of the rectangle about 2 inches. Starting at the bottom of the rectangle roll the dough up towards the top and pinch the seam to seal it. See step-by-step picture below the recipe!
6. Place the dough roll into a 9 inch loaf pan seam-side down. Cover with the same plastic wrap or tea-towel and let the dough rise for another 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size once more.
7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is ready, bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden-brown. A good tip to ensure it is baked all the way through is to insert a thermometer into the bread. It will register at 190 degrees if it is fully baked.
8. Remove from the oven and brush the top with a little butter. Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes until it is cool enough to transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. It is delightful served warm! It is also great toasted or made into French toast.
Enjoy!
A step-by-step of how to roll the dough
Soft pillowy bread with a delicious cinnamon swirl