Let's not pretend that you didn't see it coming. It's fall, I finally have an excuse to eat apple & cinnamon all day long (as if I didn't do that before). You can imagine, when I bumped into this cinnamon swirl bread, that I died a little bit on the inside. It looked so good on the pictures and when I saw that it was delicious as a toast or as a French toast, I was sold.

I must say: this is not the easiest thing to make. Not that it is very challenging, but you need a lot of time and a lot of patience. Well, those are not my best features. The thing about bread is that you should allow it to rise. Not different for this one: it has to rise 1 hour. Now I must tell you, for an impatient person, that is a long time. I always prefer my bakings to be whipped up and baked within the hour. What's the use of something if you have to wait to enjoy it? But this bread looked so delicious I decided to give it a go.

And how happy am I that I did that. Let me state it like this: the recipe makes 2 loaves.I made this bread yesterday and when I woke up this morning, one of them had disappeared completely. And that in a family that usually isn't crazy about sweet things. So yes, I think it was a success. Actually, the first thing my dad said when he tasted it was "Helen, this is heaven." Did I convince you enough already?


If I didn't, let me tell you this: the inside of this bread has a liquidy center of cinnamon. It shines when you look at it, and it shines in your mouth when you taste it. Oh, and let's not forget the smell of your house for the rest of the day. Yup, I'm sold. Now make this asap, so you can be too.

Ingredients
found at Pinch of Yum
yields 2 (small) loaves

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) warm water
• 2.5 teaspoons yeast
• 315 grams (2.5 cups) bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 110 grams (1/2 cup) white sugar

Mix the (2 tbs) sugar with the water in a very large bowl. Put in the yeast, but do not stir. Let this sit for about 5 minutes, in which it should get creamy. After that, add the oil, salt and flour.

Mix all of this by hand and add more flour if necessary (which was the case for me). Mix until the dough forms a soft ball. Flour a surface and knead the bread for 5 - 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and brush the top of the dough with some more oil (olive oil will work just fine). Cover with a damp towel and allow it to rise four one hour in a warm place. It should be very puffy. Take it out, divide it in half and punch it down.

First, preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F. Next, roll both of them out into large rectangles. Now, mix your sugar and your cinnamon and divide over the dough. Don't be afraid to use it all, it will make them taste amazing! Roll up the loaves, as thight as you want (the thighter, the more swirls) and place them onto a cookie sheet or baking stone. Let them rest for a couple of minutes before you put them in the oven.

Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until it sounds hollow. If you aren't sure, don't hesitate to bake a little longer, because even if they look brown, the layers should be filled out completely. For me, 30 minutes were perfect. Take them out and let these cool completely before you cut them. That is a really important step, because otherwise the bread will sink in when you cut it. Slice as thick or as thin as you want and eat it toasted, as French toast or just by itself - it doesn't matter which way you prefer, just enjoy!