BBD10: Breakfast Breads

Among the several blogging events in which I participate, I really look forward to Bread Baking Day. It’s exciting to anticipate what the next monthly challenge will be. I know. Get a life. But, there’s nothing better than fresh, homemade bread, so I’ll take any excuse opportunity I can to bake some.

BBD #10 is being hosted by Melissa of Baking a Sweet Life, and her theme this month is Breakfast Breads. There are lots of possibilities here.



For this challenge, I ended up baking two different breads. Not because I was ambitious or an over-achiever. Nope. The fact is that, while I was looking forward to tasting Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, I was disappointed in it. This is unusual for several reasons. First, it is full of delicious ingredients – oatmeal, applesauce, and dried fruit; and secondly, it comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours. It should be good. But it was heavy and just didn’t have the right zing to it. Also, while I baked it longer than the recipe stated, it still seemed underdone in the center.

So, based on the results of the first bread, I decided to return to a yeasted breakfast bread. Again, there were so many choices, and it took me nearly all month to decide. Monday was a major bread baking day, and one of the recipes was for this challenge: breakfast cinnamon crisps

Now, these turned out fantastic. Even though I didn’t give any away this time, they kept disappearing. My in-home taste-tester said she actually liked them better than the brioche sticky buns.

I’m sending both of these over to the BBD challenge, and I’ll provide the recipe for the better tasting one. Thanks to Melissa for hosting and to Zorra for creating this great event.

Breakfast cinnamon crisps

6 ounces milk

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup butter

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast (or ½ a package)

1/8 cup warm water (110 to 115 °F)

1 egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup softened butter

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Combine milk, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup butter, and salt in a saucepan. Heat until butter is nearly melted, then remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast on to the 1/8 cup warm water; stir to dissolve; and let sit a few minutes to proof.

Combine egg, 1 cup flour, milk mixture, and yeast in mixing bowl. Beat for 1 minute at low speed, the 2 minutes at medium speed, until mixture is smooth.

Mix in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that is easy to handle.

Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Round into a ball, place in a greased bowl, and turn over to grease top.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.

Turn onto the board, cover, and let rest 10 minutes. Roll into a 20x13” rectangle.

Combine the ¾ cup sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon.

Spread the rectangle with half of the softened butter and sprinkle on half the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Fold in half and roll again to a 20x13” rectangle. Spread with the remaining softened butter and the remaining cinnamon sugar. Fold in half again and roll out to a 20x13” rectangle.

Starting at the wide side of the rectangle, roll up like a jelly roll. Seal the seam well. Even up to 20” by stretching the roll, if necessary. Cut into 1” slices. Place on greased baking sheet and flatten slightly by pressing down and gently pulling outward from the center of each slice. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar on the tops of the rolls.

Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 °F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Makes about 20 rolls. (Recipe can be doubled.)