Slash cinnamon twists. Slash cinnamon swirls. Slash cinnamon bread. Just cinnamon fun! If you’re looking for a chocolate-y filling, check out the Chocolate Babka bread.
Total time (including rising): 3 hours. Makes 9 buns.
Materials: Mixing bowl; large high-sided pan (I use either 8×8″ or 9×11″ depending on how large I want the rolls); measuring vessels; wooden spoon; dishcloth. Missing materials or ingredients? Look here.
Ingredients (Substitutions):
- ½ packet (3.5g) Red Star Organic Instant Yeast or Red Star Organic Dry Active Yeast
- 120 grams warm water
- 260 grams milk (can use oat milk)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 125 grams (~10 tbsp) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 460 grams (~4 heaping cups) all purpose flour
- Filling: 3 tbsp butter, 5g cinnamon powder, 100g pecan, 100g granulated sugar
- Icing: cream cheese frosting
Instructions:
- Put parchment on a cookie sheet-sized pan.
- Activate 3.5 grams yeast in 120 grams warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- Warm 260 grams milk with 4 tbsp butter and 125 grams sugar. Add mixture slowly to the yeast, stirring. Make sure the milk and butter aren’t too hot or they will kill the yeast. Wrist temperature is what I use!
- Whisk 2 eggs and mix in.
- Stirring, slowly add the 460 grams of all purpose flour. Mix/knead everything so it comes together and is a nice, soft dough (may be sticky to your hands, but won’t stick to a silicon spatula over itself). You may need to add a tad more flour, but don’t overdo it.
- Let rise for 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, make the filling: Grind the 100g pecans into pebble and sand-sized chunks. With your fingertips, mix together 3 tbsp softened butter, 5g cinnamon, the pecans, and 100g granulated sugar.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Check out this Youtube video I made to see the star-making in action. In words, to make the star-shaped cinnamon swirl buns: Split dough into 4 buns using a knife. On a flat surface, sprinkle some flour. Roll out one bun into a square about ¼ inch thick. Place onto pan. Roll out another bun into a square. Spread some filling on the first square (the one on the pan), then place the next square on top. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling, ending with a dough layer on top. Roll all four layers into about an 8-by-8 inch square. Cut the square like a pie, but start about a centimeter from the center so that the star is connected at the center. Twist each slice (this is what creates the swirl).
- Bake for ~30 minutes, until tops are browned but not too browned.
- While bread is cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Frost and serve!