I use to buy Cinnamon Swirl Bread at our local Italian bakery. It was airy, soft textured, sweet bread with dulce de leche and cinnamon as a filler. At the time we lived in an apartment building nearby so I enjoyed shopping at the bakery. Saturday mornings was my chosen time to buy a fresh bread for breakfast and also this sweet treat, cinnamon swirl roll, that I knew my kids adored. They truly loved it and even coined a nickname for it: “a favorite bread”. Years went by, many seasons changed, and we all grew older. My kids are students, and I am grayer and wiser.
A few weeks ago I run into a recipe that seemed reminiscent of “a favorite bread”. The recipe was designed by pastry chef Carolina Garofani and as she gave it flying marks, calling it an ultimate “I love you” food, I had to give it a try.
My goodness was she ever right! The pastry or sweet bread however you like to call it had a wonderful sweet aroma and irresistible flavor. And yes, it did taste very similar as “a favorite bread”.
After making several consecutive batches in a row that we enjoyed daily with our coffee, I decided to make one for my student daughter. We were visiting over the weekend, and I thought this pastry would be good, cheerful present that will reignite her childhood memories. After all it is “a favorite bread” and an ultimate “I love you” food; it was going to work on both accounts. I remembered that she liked it without raisins, so I omitted them in her roll.
The pastry came out great. I sliced it and tightly wrapped in a plastic wrap. We went out together for lunch, and I did not want to put pressure on her or rush her to try it. I just left it up to her whenever she eventually gets to it. In the evening I received the text from her. She was very excited, and exclaimed that my roll was very flavorful, and even softer than one we used to buy at the bakery! That was a real complement that truly made my day!
It can not get much better then when you make it out of love, and in the process are able to upstage what is already known to be “a favorite”.
| Prep Time | 30 min |
| Cook Time | 30 min |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
loaves
|
- 400 g all purpose non bleached flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 80 g brown sugar
- 10 g dry yeast
- 200 ml filtered water lukewarm
- 80 g unsalted butter softened
- 10 g sea salt
- 100 g black raisins
- 2 tbsp golden Rum
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g dulce de leche
- 10 g ground cinnamon
- 1 egg for glaze
- cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Garnish
|
|
- Dissolve yeast in little water, let it sit for 5 minutes.
- In a small cup soak raisins in the rum, set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl add flour, sugar, water and kneed slowly, keep adding water little at the time.
- Add dissolved yeast and keep kneading until is fully absorbed by the dough.
- Add butter and keep kneading until the dough turns smooth, shiny and not sticking to the sides of the bowl.
- Add salt and drained raisins and keep kneading until well incorporated into the dough.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic film and set aside until dough triples in size or 2 hours, whichever comes first.
- Using a mixer beat the butter for few minutes. Add dulce de leche and ground cinnamon.
- Mix in dulce de leche and ground cinnamon, set aside.
- Butter two baking pans 20 cm x 10 cm x 5 cm (8"x 4" x 2.5").
- Turn the dough onto lightly floured counter surface and punch it down. Divide the dough into two parts forming smooth balls, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin roll the dough out into a square shape with 20 cm (8") side.
- Spread the filling evenly with a spoon or a pastry knife.
- Carefully roll the dough and put it in the baking pan, seam side down.
- Repeat the process with the other dough ball.
- Cover baking pans with oiled plastic film and let the dough proof for 1-2 hours or until the dough reaches the edges of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 180 ºC (355ºF).
- Brush the rolls with lightly beaten egg wash, sprinkle on some sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 90ºC (194ºF).
- Let cool for 5 minutes before unmolding, cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Depending on room temperature keep filling in the fridge to firm up and have paste like consistency.
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