#BrunchWeek ~ Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Welcome to day 1 of Brunch Week! I'm so excited you've joined us for this fantastic week of amazing dishes to inspire you in your kitchen. Today's dish I'm sharing with you can be served in a variety of ways depending on your meal. This bread could easily be called "Cinnamon Roll Bread" as that is what it is very reminiscent of. The dough is firm but has a tender crumb, so it slices well and holds up really well for toasting or turning into French toast. See my kick-off post here for the rafflecopter information - there are TONS of great prizes, so make sure to enter!

The layers of gooey cinnamon sugar between the rolls of bread are delicious. This bread is very, very easy to slice and snack on without adding anything to it. Make up a batch of this bread and set it out with bagels for toasting, or whip up a big platter of french toast, or use it in some type of french toast casserole. The options are endless! This bread was my first experience working with Red Star's platinum yeast, and I honestly cannot tell you how impressed I was. (And that's my 2 1/2 year old's finger - she always has to help with pictures!)

I've never had such an active, effective yeast in my kitchen before and it made me wonder what the heck I've been missing. The yeast was big and bubbly VERY quickly and the dough rose up so beautifully!

BrunchWeek Beverages:

• Green Tea Mojito by Love & Confections.

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:

• Apple Bacon Cheddar Flatbread by Wholistic Woman.
• Apple Cheddar Scones by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks.
• Apple Pie Pastry Braid by {i love} my disorganized life.
• Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones by Books n' Cooks.
• Caramelized Onion Apple Galette by Forking Up.
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sweet Rolls by From Gate to Plate.
• Chocolate Zucchini Donuts by My Catholic Kitchen.
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread by Making Miracles.
• Cornmeal Biscuits with Chorizo Gravy and Scallions by Sweet Beginnings.
• {Gluten-Free} Galette Perougienne avec Chamomile by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
• Gluten Free Orange Rolls by Gluten Free Crumbley.
• Italian Sweet Rolls by A Day in the Life on the Farm.
• Mini Brioche by The Redhead Baker.
• Orange Creamsicle Donuts by The Crumby Cupcake.
• Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls by The Suburban Soapbox.
• Saffron Bread by Jane's Adventures in Dinner.
• Savory Ham and Cheese Waffles by The Chef Next Door.
• White Cheddar and Black Pepper Gougéres by The Barbee Housewife.

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:

• Breakfast Potatoes by Big Bear's Wife
• Cheesy Hash Browns by Cindy's Recipes and Writings.
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter by Casa de Crews.

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:

• Akuri Scrambled Eggs by Palatable Pastime.
• Bubble Up Denver Breakfast Bake by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.
• Carnitas Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Crema in Avocado Halves by Sarcastic Cooking.
• Cheesy Breakfast Nachos by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.
• Croque Madame Bread Pudding by Cooking In Stilettos.
• Macaroni and Cheese Soufflé by Tara's Multicultural Table.

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:

• Apple Cornbread & Ham Roll-Ups by Nik Snacks.
• Breakfast Mac & Cheese by The Spiffy Cookie.
• Italian Sausage Strata by Feeding Big and more.
• Pizza Loaf by The Healthy Fit Foodie.
• Shrimp and Andouille Cheddar Grits with Hot Pepper Cream Sauce by The Texan New Yorker.

BrunchWeek Desserts:

• Chocolate-dipped Orange Cookies by Family Around the Table.
• Jelly Donut Cake by Pink Cake Plate
• Raspberry Coffeecake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
• Strawberry French Toast Cupcakes by Brunch-n-Bites.

My light and love - Lindsey Rose.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dixie Crystals sugar
1 cup warm water
2½ teaspoons Red Star Platinum yeast
2½ cups high gluten bread flour (add extra as needed)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cinnamon
½ cup Dixie Crystals white sugar

Directions

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar with the warm water in a very large bowl. Add the yeast and do not stir. Let it sit until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, and flour. Mix by hand, adding more flour as necessary until the dough forms a large, soft ball. Flour a table or work surface and knead the bread for 5-10 minutes.
2. Place the dough in a bowl with about 1/2 TBS olive oil and flip once so both sides are lightly coated in oil (I usually just reuse the bowl I created the dough in). Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It should be very puffy. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out into a large triangle (about 1/4" thick, a little thicker if you want the layers in the roll to be fuller). Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the surface of the rectangle. Roll tightly, cut the long roll in half, and place the two small loaves on a baking tray. Cover and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove towel and bake  for 30 minutes, or until it sounds hollow. The bread should be well browned in order to cook all the way through. Allow it to cool completely before slicing so it holds up and doesn't sink down during cutting.

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Vidalia Onion Committee, Sage Fruits, Nielsen-Massey, KitchenIQ, and Le Creuset for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own.