Thursday, December 18, 2014

Adventures in Sourdough, Heavenly Cinnamon Swirl

Greetings Readers,

I have been delinquent in posting Sourdough Updates.  It's time to catch up.  One of the favorites and the most fought over recipe is the Cinnamon Swirl Bread affectionately known as "The Swirl."  Oh the wonderful aroma.  This fragrant bread fills the house - and the neighborhood with the warm sweet scent of cinnamon and butter. 

The dough recipe comes from my Sourdough Cinnamon Roll recipe and the modified filling, doubled from Joy the Baker's recipe for Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl.  I replaced her fresh fruit with nothing the first time and later trials with dates, craisins, and pecans.  Don't make me choose a favorite;  both are good. 

The Swirl towers high in a 10" cast iron skillet, so place it no higher than the middle shelf in your oven.  It bakes at 375F for 25-30 minutes, rising even higher.  Let cool in the skillet for 30 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar - and HIDE, yourself or The Swirl, but one of you has to go.
 
The Rise of Cinnamon Swirl
My friend and her husband recently had dinner with us.  The Cinnamon Swirl baked while we ate.  "Oh, that smells so good!" she said and pushed away her unfinished meal, none to shy that she was preferred dessert. 

The bread came out of the oven, barely had time to cool and the restless couple demanded dessert.  It wasn't easy slicing a piping hot loaf.  My friend hung her head over her plate not eating, not even sampling a crumb.  How could she beg for dessert and not eat?  She took a deep breath, "I didn't think it could smell any better.  I'm not sure I can eat this!"  She deeply inhaled the aroma again and again, the rest of us inhaled the contents on our plates.  Finally she ate, savoring each bite.

My daughter came over the next day upset because she didn't get any Swirl.  I made a loaf for her.  The daycare operator heard about The Swirl from my daughter and I was in trouble again.  So I made her a loaf.   My daughter returned the pan and whined again that she wasn't invited to feast at daycare.

Use caution when making The Swirl.  It's addictive and oddly starts WWIII in our household.  If shared, then peace reigns again - until we near the end of the loaf.

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