Sweet Swirls - [Cinnamon Wreath Bread]

Yaaaa this happened this weekend!  Somehow my initial idea of baking a simple cinnamon swirl bread turned into a wreath bread, sprinkled with a sugar glaze and topped with some crushed walnuts.  The dough was super easy to roll out and the twist into a wreath looks much harder than it actually is to make!  Soooo delicious and a perfect weekend treat – buttery-cinnamon-fluffy goodness.  I’m really hoping this lasts us until the middle of the week :D

RECIPE (One Bread Wreath)

MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE:
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon water

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

WALNUT MIXTURE:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon maple syrup
pinch of salt

SPRINKLE: active yeast into a bowl with honey and pour in warm milk – stir and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes to activate.

MAKE THE DOUGH: I leveraged a dough recipe from Half Baked Harvest.  Mix in the flour, eggs, and salt – start kneading the dough (I used a Kitchen-Aid mixer with the dough hook) until the flour is incorporated, about 4 -5 minutes.  Add the 2 tablespoons of room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2 – 3 minutes.  Add in tablespoons of remaining 1/2 cup of flour if needed until the dough is smooth.  Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it has doubled.

FILLING FOR THE DOUGH: Mix together the room temp butter, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

ROLL & FILL THE DOUGH: Punch the rise dough down and roll it out to a large 12 x 18 inch rectangle.  Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the rectangle, leaving about 1/2″ from the edges bare of the mixture.  Roll the dough into a log – keeping it tight as you roll.

CUT & TWIST THE DOUGH: I leveraged pictures & instructions from Half Baked Harvest on how to cut & twist the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the log of dough in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact. Turn the halves to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until you have a long, twisted dough.  Then wrap the twisted dough into a wreath shape and tuck one end under the wreath so that it holds together.

PROOF THE WREATH: By covering the formed wreath and letting it rise until it becomes noticeably puffy, about 30 – 45 minutes.

MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE: Mix together maple syrup and water with a brush.

PREHEAT OVEN: 350 degrees.

BRUSH: the wreath with a thin coat of the maple syrup glaze.

BAKE: for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown.

WALNUT MIXTURE: pulse walnuts, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a food processor or blender and set aside.

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE: mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  Use a spoon to drizzle the sugar glaze over the wreath.  Lastly sprinkle the walnut mixture on top and enjoy!