shaped breads

February's Daring Bakers challenge was so dangerous! Easy, simple ingredients, so yummy, and pretty on top of it!

Daring Baker Sawsan, of Chef in Disguise, challenged us to make beautiful, filled breads.

Sawsan provided us with two recipes, and two shaped breads to attempt. The first one I made was filled with cinnamon sugar. The other recipe made two "loaves" one of which i filled with nutella, the other, with berry preserves.

Cinnamon bread

Servings: 8

1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water

3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk

1 large egg

1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) butter, softened

1/4 cup (60 ml) (50 gm) (1-3/4 oz) white sugar

1/2 teaspoon (3 gm) salt

3-1/4 cups (780 ml) (450 gm) (16 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, approximately

2 teaspoons (10 ml) (8 gm) dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon (1 gm) cardamom, optional

1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk

1 tablespoon (15 gm) (1/2 oz) sugar

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) (1/4 cup) (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) butter

4 tablespoons (60 ml) (25 gm) (1 oz) cinnamon

1/2 cup (120 ml) (100 gm) (3-1/2 oz) sugar

1 can (400 gm) (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

In a bowl whisk the egg with milk, water, sugar, butter and yeast. Set aside

In another bowl sift the flour with the salt and the optional cardamom. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you get a smooth dough.

Note: This recipe requires between 3-1/4 and 3-1/2 cups of flour depending on the weather, humidity and the flour brand. Start with 3-1/4 cups and if you feel that the dough is too soft, add the extra 1/4 cup.

Place the dough in a bowl you have brushed with some oil and cover it with a wet cloth and leave it in a warm place to double.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll each part into a circle at least 20 cm (8 inch) in diameter.

Brush the first layer with butter then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place the second layer on the first layer repeat the brushing and sprinkling and then do the same with the third layer. Top with the fourth layer, this time only brush it with butter.

Using a knife make cuts that divide the dough circles into 8 triangles. Make cuts that go 2/3 of the way in the middle of each triangle. The cuts should not reach the base of the triangle nor the tip. Take the tip of each triangle and insert it into the cut you made and pull it from the underside.

Arrange the triangles on your baking sheet. Pinch the two angles at the base of the triangle together.

Brush the dough with milk.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes during which you would heat your oven to very hot 500°F/240°C/gas mark 9 (rack in the middle). (Go for the hottest your oven will do).

Bake for 5 minutes on very hot 460°F/240°C/gas mark 9, then lower the temperature to moderately hot 390°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 15-20 more minutes

Note: ovens do differ greatly, so the time may differ,what you want is to bake it until the under side is golden brown and the bread is baked all the way to the center. If the top of the bread is not golden brown by that time and you have a broiler (grill) in your oven. Turn on the broiler (grill) for a couple of minutes until the bread is golden brown on top. If on the other hand the top is getting too dark, consider lowering the oven temperature and covering the top of the bread with foil to stop it from over browning

Take it out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rick and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk while it is still warm.

Nutella twists

Servings: This dough recipe makes two loaves, 16 small pieces each

1 can (400 gm) (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3 large eggs

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil

1 cup (240 ml) warm water

3 teaspoons (15 ml) (12 gm) yeast

7 cups (1 kg) (2.2 lbs) all-purpose (plain) flour, approximately

Pinch of salt

Instead of the eggwash use

2 tablespoons (30 ml) (25 gm) (1 oz) milk powder

3 tablespoons (45 ml) lukewarm water

1teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar

1/4 teaspoon (1 gm) instant coffee

For the filling

½ jar (200 gm) (7 oz) of nutella (or similar)

Mix the condensed milk, yeast, oil, water, and eggs in the bowl of your mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time and knead using the kneading attachment or by hand till you get a soft dough. The dough will be slightly sticky due to the sweetened condensed milk, don’t worry once the dough rests it will have a wonderful consistency.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rest till it doubles in size

Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 parts. Wrap one part in a plastic bag and work with the other. Divide the dough ball into 4 parts. Roll each part into a circle at least 20 cm (8 inch) in diameter. You can use a plate or any other round item as a template if you want your layers to be identical and uniform. 

Spread the Nutella (or similar filling) on the first layer. Place the second layer on top of the first and repeat. Top with the fourth layer, this time only brush it with butter.

Note: To help with the slippery Nutella, you can place the filled layers before cutting into the fridge for 20-30 minutes, this will help the Nutella to firm up. That will make the cuts and twists easier.

Using a knife make cuts that divide the dough circles into 8 triangles starting at the center but don’t go all the way to the outer edge. Then divide each triangle into two. That gives you a total of 16 triangles. Gently lift the triangles one at a time and twist them.

Repeat for the other dough ball.

Brush the dough with egg wash replacement. Allow to rest for 15 minutes during which you would heat your oven to very hot 500°F/240°C/gas mark 9.

Bake for 5 minutes on very hot 460°F/240°C/gas mark 9, then lower the temperature to moderately hot 390°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 15-20 more minutes.

Note: Ovens do differ greatly, so the time may differ,what you want is to bake it until the under side is golden brown and the bread is baked all the way to the center. If the top of the bread is not golden brown by that time and you have a broiler (grill) in your oven. Turn on the broiler (grill) for a couple of minutes until the bread is golden brown on top. If on the other hand the top is getting too dark, consider lowering the oven temperature and covering the top of the bread with foil to stop it from over browning.

This challenge was very dangerous for me. I could have made bread all month long! So delicious! Thanks Sawsan for the great challenge!

cinnamon toast crunch frosting

I made yummy frosting this morning! The cinnamon flavored cupcake itself was just meh, but the cinnamon toast crunch frosting was really, really good!

The original recipe called for 1 3/4 cups of crushed cereal, but since Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of the kid's favorite, so of course, there was only a tiny bit left. Once powdered in the blender, I was able to get about 3/4 cups of crushed cereal.

The frosting had some texture to it, from the the brown sugar and the crushed cereal, so I just plopped it on the cupcake instead of piping it prettily, afraid that the crushed cereal would clog up the piping tip.

I thought it was a really nice change from boring old vanilla frosting. Now just need to find a cupcake recipe to match this frosting!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frosting
recipe adapted from: BS' in the Kitchen

1 1/2 cups butter (room temperature)
4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Wilton butter flavouring
2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
4 tbsp brown sugar
4-5 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal crumbs (run through a foodprocessor)
Whipping cream to lighten the texture if necessary

Whip the butter with the vanilla, butter flavouring, sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar. When the mixture is creamy, add the icing sugar and cinnamon. Whip until fluffy, then add the powdered cereal. Continue whipping the frosting, adding whipping cream as needed, until desired consistency is obtained.