This Sourdough Cinnamon Bread fills the house with a warm inviting smell, like gramma’s house from years past, that will have everyone running to the kitchen.
This cinnamon bread is scrumptious either cold or warm from the oven. It has the perfect amount of sweetness, and a yummy cinnamon taste without being overpowering. You can spruce it up with dried fruit and nuts or chocolate chips, leave as is, or cut into cinnamon buns. You can jazz up the icing with cinnamon for a cinnamon icing or make a cream cheese icing or omit the icing altogether. The options are endless and any which way you make it, it is simply delicious!
Bread has been made by many cultures for thousands of years. The shapes and flavors, techniques and types of grains may have changed, but bread has remained a staple of the dinner table. It is an affordable and simple way to add more sustenance to a meal, making it more filling and hearty. Adding dried fruits and spices to make a sweet bread began in the 1700’s and gained in popularity by the mid 1800’s. Today, we can see a wide assortment and flavors of breads, just like this delicious sourdough cinnamon bread!
Let’s get started!
Combine yeast, water and sugar together and leave until it looks foamy and doubles in size.
Add 1 cup flour, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, oil, sourdough starter, milk or water and stir well.
Add flour, 1 cup at a time until a dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface. Sprinkle dough with flour and begin to knead.
Knead the dough. Kneading helps develop the protein structures in the dough (also known as gluten), as well as incorporating oxygen into the dough which helps the yeast to rise, making a soft, fluffy but structured bread dough. If the dough rips too much, keep kneading. You should be able to take a piece of dough and stretch it. Knead by pushing the dough away from you, fold the far end over the top, turn and repeat the process for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with parchment or a tea towel and set somewhere warm for an hour or until doubled in size.
Lightly punch dough down, turn onto surface and roll out.
Spread with a bit of butter and scatter brown sugar and cinnamon over top.
Now is when you can add raisins, or other fillings.
Roll up jelly roll style.
At this point, you can cut into cinnamon buns and place in a greased baking pan, or fold the ends under and place in a greased loaf pan.
Cover again and place in warm area. Let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown. When tapped, it should sound hollow. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
Remove from pan and place on plate.
Make icing and pour over top.
Slice and enjoy.
This cinnamon bread goes perfect with a cup of coffee or tea and is great for breakfast, as a dessert or for an afternoon break.
Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
2/3 cup warm water
2 tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
Place yeast and sugar in bowl and pour warm water over top. Let rise 5 to 10 minutes. Once yeast is fluffy looking and has doubled in size, add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup warm water or warmed milk of choice
3 to 5 cups flour – we use whole grain, but you can use a mixture of bread flour or all purpose with whole grain flour
Filling:
4 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon – add more if you like
Once yeast has doubled in size, add eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, oil, sourdough starter and water or milk and stir well. Beat vigorously for 1 minute. Add flour, 1 cup at a time until dough forms. Pour onto floured surface, sprinkle dough with flour and knead for about 5 minutes or until dough is stretchy. Place in a greased bowl, put a little oil on the dough too so it does not dry out and loosely cover with parchment or a tea towel and set in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. Lightly punch down and pour dough out. Roll to about 1/2″ thick. Spread with melted butter. Scatter brown sugar and cinnamon over top. You can also add raisins, other dried fruit or nuts at this point. Roll jelly roll style. Either cut into cinnamon buns, or fold edges under and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover once again and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350F for 45 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and when tapped, sounds hollow. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes.
Icing:
2 tbsp butter
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp milk
Remove from pan and place on a plate. Combine icing ingredients together, adding more milk to create a thick, pourable icing. Pour icing over top cinnamon bread. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea, hot cocoa or a glass of milk.
