Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Now that the festivities of Christmas are over, New Year's resolutions have begun, and the Christmas feasts are but a memory, (except for the reminder clinging to our hips), it's time to return to healthy eating.  Or at least, normal eating.  Some may go cold turkey on all foods that aren't celery, carrageenan-free almond milk, or sugar-free almond butter, but I prefer to go to all the warm, comforting foods.  Yes to breads, yes to soups, yes to cookies, yes to stir-frys. 

I'm all for trying new diets, not because I'm looking for a radical health-overthrow, but because I enjoy the challenge.  (And then the "forbidden" foods taste oh so marvelous after the fact.)  But I've also learned my lesson from Whole30January: This is not the time to try a restricting diet.  January can be long, cold, and sometimes a bit of a letdown after the holidays.  Add in the extra stress of not being able to eat just about anything you might fancy, and January just stretched into an eternity.  I'd rather get into the swing of normal routine and work before depriving my mind of body of certain foods.  Of course, this is just me.  And mostly the me that's still reeling from Whole30.  Find what works for you, without using that as an excuse to not give it your all.

Speaking of that bread earlier, how about a nice piece of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl toast??  

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Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

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Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Makes 2 9-inch loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 150g raisins

• 1 cup / 237g hot water

• 1 Tbsp / 10g active dry or instant yeast

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 4 Tbsp / 56g melted butter or oil

• 2 tsp / 9g salt

• 5 1/2 - 6 cups / 660 - 720g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 1/2 Tbsp / 12g cinnamon

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp / 9g water

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C.  2 greased loaf pans, approximately 9 x 5in / 23 x 13cm.  

1. Place raisins in a small bowl with the hot water and let plump for at least 10 minutes.  

2. Drain water from raisins into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl.  Set raisins aside.  Sprinkle yeast over the water.  If you're using active dry, let the yeast sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam; if you're using instant, proceed to the next step. 

3. Add milk, butter, and salt to yeast mixture and stir well.  Add 5 cups / 600g of flour, mixing to incorporate. 

4. Switch to the dough hook or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary.  At the end, test to see if your dough is ready by performing the window pane test (see notes.)  If not, continue to knead dough until it passes.  

5. Toss raisins with a bit of flour to absorb any residual water.  Add to your dough, and knead until evenly distributed.  If using a stand mixer, you may find this easier to do by hand.  

6. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  

7. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.  

8. Beat the egg with the 2 tsp water in another small bowl. 

9. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal pieces.  Starting with one half, roll dough into a rectangle about 9in / 23cm wide and at least 18in / 46cm long. 

10. Brush the dough evenly with some of the egg wash, leaving one narrow end dry; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Starting from the opposite short end, roll dough up and pinch the seam to seal. 

11. Transfer to the loaf pan, placing seam side down.  Repeat with other half of dough.  

12. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.   

13. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reads 185 - 190°F / 85-88°C. 

14. Let bread cool 10 minutes before removing from pans and allowing to cool completely.

Jenny's Notes:

• If the dough shrinks back on you as you're rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.  

• If you have leftover egg wash and cinnamon sugar, you can brush the top of the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.  

• I used sourdough starter to make the loaves in the pictures.  I didn't leave enough time for rising, and thus you can see you the crumb is rather tight and dense.  Delicious nonetheless, but know that if you use instant yeast your loaves should be taller! 

• Loaves can be frozen for later enjoyment.

• If you really dig raisins, add more than 1 cup! Just be aware, though, if you start to add too many (I would imagine more than 2 cups) then they could start to weigh down your dough, not allowing for a full rise.  

cinnamon raisin bread, cinnamon raisin swirl bread, cinnamon toast,

Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

American

Yield: 24

Author: Jennyblogs

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Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Enriched white bread with swirls of cinnamon and plump raisins throughout.

Prep time: 1 hourCook time: 40 MTotal time: 1 H & 40 M

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 150g raisins
• 1 cup / 237g hot water
• 1 Tbsp / 10g active dry or instant yeast
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 4 Tbsp / 56g melted butter or oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 1/2 - 6 cups / 660 - 720g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp / 12g cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp water

Instructions:

1. Oven 375°F / 190°C. Grease 2 loaf pans, approximately 9 x 5in / 23 x 13cm.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl with the hot water and let plump for at least 10 minutes.
3. Drain the water from the raisins into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Set the raisins aside. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. If you're using active dry, let the yeast sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam, if you're using instant, go ahead and proceed to the next step.
4. Add the milk, butter, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir well. Add 5 cups / 600g of flour, mixing to incorporate. Switch to the dough hook or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. At the end, test to see if your dough is ready by performing the window pane test (see notes.) If not, continue to knead the dough until it passes.
5. Toss the raisins with a bit of flour to absorb any residual water. Add to your dough, and knead until evenly distributed. If using a stand mixer, you may find this easier to do by hand.
6. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
7. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
8. Beat the egg with 2 tsp water in another small bowl.
9. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal pieces. Starting with one half, roll dough into a rectangle about 9in / 23cm wide and at least 18in / 46cm long.
10. Brush the dough evenly with some of the egg wash, leaving one short end free, and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting from the opposite short end, roll the dough up and pinch the seam to seal.
11. Transfer to the loaf pan, placing seam side down. Repeat with other half of dough.
12. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
13. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reads 185 - 190°F / 85-88°C.
14. Let bread cool 10 minutes in pans before removing and allowing to cool completely.

Notes:

If the dough shrinks back on you as you're rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes and try again. If you have leftover egg wash and cinnamon sugar, you can brush the top of the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking. Loaves can be frozen for later enjoyment! If you really dig raisins, add more than 1 cup! Just be aware, though, if you start to add too many (I would imagine more than 2 cups) then they could start to weigh down your dough, not allowing for a full rise.

Calories

171.35

Fat (grams)

2.64

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.44

Carbs (grams)

33.09

Fiber (grams)

1.42

Net carbs

31.67

Sugar (grams)

7.96

Protein (grams)

4.10

Sodium (milligrams)

218.89

Cholesterol (grams)

13.56

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 24 servings or 12 servings per loaf.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/1/12/cinnamon-raisin-swirl-bread

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Tag @jenevamorris on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Shout out to all my Swedish friends, here's an ode to Semlor!  Do I even know any Swedish people? Do I even know any Swedish-Americans?  Hmmm.  Well, if you know one, or are one, let me know would ya?  I think the most I know about Sweden is what I learned from the American Girl doll Kirsten as a child, they have a pretty blue and yellow flag, and that these buns are delicious.  They take a bit of time to make, unless you have a bread machine, but honestly I love working food with my hands and would take the extra time to mix and knead over a bread machine any day.  However, sometimes practicality or time saving takes place over the therapeutic sensation of kneading bread.  Your call.  But if you choose the bread machine route, you're on your own because I've never operated one.  Sorry 'bout ya.  My roommate used to have one and she made it look so easy that I'm sure you could translate this recipe for a bread recipe easily without my help.  

These buns, as I've read, are traditionally associated with Lent and eaten on Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday.  You could think of them as the equivalent to Polish paczki.  If you're thinking, "Wow, thanks, that helps me so much - WHAT is a paczki??" It's similar to a jelly filled doughnut traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday and pronounced poonch-key.  Also delicious.  There is quite a large Polish population near where I grew up, including an annual Polka Fest!  Plenty of polka-ing and beer to go around.  Anyway, Semlor is also eaten in various forms and under other names in other Nordic countries such as Finland, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.  Let's stick to Swedish Semlor, shall we? 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from LondonEats

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Semlor

Makes 10 buns

Ingredients:

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter

• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast

• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt

• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar

• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour

• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns

• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream

• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Make the Cardamom Buns

Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.

1. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer.  Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt.  Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.  

2. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.  Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms.  Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed.  You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom.  If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.  

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more.  Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.  Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.   

4. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.  

6. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.  

Make the Marzipan Filling

Your filling may look like baby spit-up, too. And that's ok.

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside.  Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl.  Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can.  Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.  

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.  

2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.  

Jenny's Notes:

• I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine.

• If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was.

• When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass.

• I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

• "Semlor" is plural, so if you would like to eat only one bun, ask for a "Semla."

semla,semlor,cardamom buns,marzipan filling,swedish buns, yeasted bread, sweet buns

bread, breakfast, dessert

Nordic

Yield: 10

Author: Jennyblogs

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Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Sweet, yeasted cardamom buns with a creamy marzipan filling and whipped cream topping.

Prep time: 1 H & 20 MCook time: 15 Mininactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 H & 35 M

Ingredients:

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter
• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast
• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt
• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar
• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns
• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

Make the Cardamom Buns

1. Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt. Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.
3. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms. Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed. You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom. If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more. Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.
7. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.

Make the Marzipan Filling

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside. Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl. Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can. Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.
2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.

Notes:

I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine. If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was. When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass. I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

Calories

436.24

Fat (grams)

19.78

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.76

Carbs (grams)

56.25

Fiber (grams)

1.82

Net carbs

54.43

Sugar (grams)

18.41

Protein (grams)

9.08

Sodium (milligrams)

149.19

Cholesterol (grams)

84.19

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one semla.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/7/29/semlor-swedish-cardamom-buns

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

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