Oh Christmas Tree and Cinnamon Bread

Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Via Pioneer Woman

Yep, that's right.  We begin with butter.

At this point we all know we are not counting calories.
Use whole milk.

Toss them in together and heat 'em up. Don't boil.

When blended, pour in a bowl and let cool.

When it has cooled but is warmer than luke warm
toss in your yeast.  Yikes! My hand is a wrinkly
claw....

Stir gently and let sit for 10 minutes.

I had my little Sous Chef with me so I missed a couple shots
here.  I do not have a counter top mixer but I used my hand
mixer and when it got too sticky we used our...

Yep, those are little Sous Chef hands.
They are world famous for their
kneading magic.

In action.

P Dub has some excellent suggestions for keeping bread warm.
However, laundry never stops at my house and this
way I can kill two birds with one stone.
Rise Baby Rise.

 Meanwhile, there is plenty of flour
leftover for Lu Belle to play in.

Warning! The dog may get a sprinkle of "snow"
in the process.

So sad that I missed what it looked like after it had risen.
It was gigantic and I split it and then put it back together three
times.  It just looked too large.
In the end I went with P Dub and put it all in.
I rolled it out, straightened
the edges.....

and measured it against my bread pan.

Throw in the shuga and cinnamon.

Slather it in softened butter.
This is VITAL.

Toss your goodies on top.  Now, I used
raisins even though the commentary on P Dubs
site bashed cooked raisins.  Um, I still did
it my way.  Shocker, right?

Roll it up nice and tight....I did not roll tight
enough.....You'll see later why this is so
very important.

Pinch the seam closed and I chose to rub all
the extra sugar
and cinnamon along the seam.

Toss Her in your pan seam side down.
Yep, its a her....sugar and spice.
You get it.

She's a tight fit.  Looks strangely familiar...
A bit like me in my jeans after polishing
Her off
this weekend.

Now this I screwed up...the easiest part.
This is supposed to be an egg and a SPLASH of milk.
I did a bit more than a splash of milk.
Just do the splash.

Paint or rub Her down with your
egg splash mix.
See how she glistens.
Now Bake.

My pan over floweth.
I could have pretty much eaten the air at this moment.
Luckily, She was ready and My Love
was on his way home. That would
have been awkward for him to
walk in on...

She's bustin' at the seams.
So....we all grabbed a piece hit Nick's
and picked up....

Our very 1st Christmas Tree
as a Family.

She might smell better than the bread.






*Afterthoughts:  This was 100% Delicious! Well, worth the time.
I know time is precious but we all enjoyed this so very much.
It was made with love from not only my hands but more
importantly from Georgia's sweet hands.
Build Memories with your loved ones this holiday season.

Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Prep Time: 4 Hours  |  Cook Time: 40 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 2 whole Eggs
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 3-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
• Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.