Cinnamon Bread

Bread is so expensive!  I've been slacking a little on the bread making, and every time I make a fresh loaf I find myself asking why I even bother with the store bought stuff?  Cinnamon bread is one of those things that our family loves, but we go through it so quickly that I don't usually buy it!  Otherwise, I would find myself buying out the cinnamon bread every week at the store.  So instead, like a lot of things we keep around the house, I made a mass amount of it and froze it. 


I'm one of those odd ball people who own 5 loaf pans, so making bread is pretty simple for us.  With their being six of us though, its not really a lot. 

Especially when school is in session. 


Now I'm rambling....onto bread making!

1 cup of milk
1 stick of butter
2 1/2 tsps of active dry yeast
2 eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

For the nice cinnamon swirl in the middle you'll need:
1/3 cup of sugar
4 tblsps of cinnamon

Melt butter with milk in a sauce pan over medium heat, make sure you don't boil! Cool milk and butter to where its warm enough to touch but not "I just burnt the Sh*t out of my finger!" hot.  Sprinkle the yeast of the top of the liquid and give it a gentle stir.  Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes.

Combine salt and flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs until combined.  Pour in milk mixture and stir to combine.  Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined.  Add the other half and beat until combined. 

Now, depending on atmospheric conditions, yes its true, your dough may be more sticky than needed.  You can mix in 1/4 cup of flour at a time on low.  You never want to over mix dough.  Dough should be sticky, but not to the point of scraping it off your fingers. 

In a buttered bowl, toss the dough ball around to grease all sides and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.  Be patient with the dough.

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter.  Turn the risen dough out onto the work surface.  Roll into a rectangle and spread melted butter over the dough and generously coat the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Starting at the end furthest from you, roll the dough toward you, horizontally, tightly. 

Place loaf in a heavily greased loaf pan, cover with a clean dish towel and let rise another two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 40 minutes. 

Savor the way your house smells......

And try not to eat the whole thing......