I love love love sweet breads and this Cinnamon Almond Knotted Bread is no exception. Its perfect for brunch, breakfast, snack, tea time, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas – generally anytime.
This knotted sweet bread is tender and sweet and looks beautiful. Inspired by an Estonian Kringel or Kringle, Babka and Challah, I have reworked a few recipes and issues to finalize on a rich bread that I notice the family has completely inhaled. (Good thing this recipe yields 2 loaves!) What’s the difference anyways?
- Challah – braided bread enjoyed in Jewish cuisine on Friday’s and ceremonial occasions like Passover. The bread is typically yellow due to the large number of eggs used in making a rich dough.
- Babka – sweet yeast bread often braided with swirls of chocolate or cinnamon, often seen in Jewish, Ukranian or Polish cuisine
- Kringel or Kringle – sweet braided bread often filled with sweet and savory toppings like raisins, cream, marzipan cream cheese, ham and cheese, often seen in Estonian cuisine
- Brioche – sweet leavened bread with eggs and butter in French cuisine
Since I enjoy reconfiguring food and recipes, I don’t know what to call my creations, except delightful. 😉
Taste: Delightful, not overly sweet, not a cinnamon bun, a full flavored bread with eggs and butter
Tenderness: Soft, small crumb with slightly crispy exterior
Appearance: The bread bakes a little darker than my liking, but that is the only thing I can fault it for.
Cinnamon Almond Knotted Bread
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Extra large baking sheet
- Rolling pin
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 1 cup 1 2% or whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup softened salted butter
- ¼ cup melted salted butter
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 egg yolk from large egg
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting/rolling
Cinnamon Almond Filling
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground almonds or almond flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with dough hook, heat milk to 110F and add to the bowl. Add instant yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes while the yeast becomes frothy.
- Using the dough hook, stir in sugar, melted and salted butter.
- Using the dough hook, stir in egg and egg yolk.
- Using the dough hook, stir in flour until the dough comes together about 3 minutes.
- Knead dough in stand mixer for 5 minutes or knead by hand for 8 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and allow bread dough to proof in a warm area for 90 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix Cinnamon Almond Filling – softened butter, ground cinnamon, ground almonds and sugar together.
- On a floured countertop, roll out bread dough into 10” x 18” or ¼” thickness.
- Spread a thin layer of the Cinnamon Almond filling onto bread dough from edge to edge. (The filling will be thin. It is not necessary for the filling to be spread evenly.
- Roll the dough along the long edge into a log (similar to cinnamon buns). No need to seal or pinch dough close. Roll the dough so the seam is on the bottom.
- Using a knife, cut the dough log lengthwise.
- Roll each half of the dough log so the cut edge with the layers is facing upwards.
- Take one dough roll and lay until a lopsided “U” shape where one side is longer.
- Take the long side of the “U” to cross across the short side of the “U”.
- Continue to take the long side of the “U” and put under the short side of the “U”.
- Pull the long side of the “U” through the hole, as a dough knot has been formed.
- Take the ends of the “U”, pinch together and fold underneath the dough.
- Place the dough knot onto one side of a parchment laid baking sheet. Allow to proof for 30 minutes while pre-heating oven to 350F.
- Fold the other half of the dough into a knotted shape and lay on another parchment laid baking sheet. Allow to proof for 30 minutes while pre-heating oven to 350F.
- Bake in the middle rack of oven at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until inner temperature of the bread dough reaches 190F
