Cinnamon Rolls & Babka Bread

Normally whenever I'm stressed or just under the weather, cinnamon helps me get back to my funk. I used to go to my all time favorite Banana bread and load it with cinnamon and sometimes dry ginger but ever since I have tried my hands on cinnamon pull apart bread, it is giving very tight competition to our good old friend.

They are not just easy to whip along and if you plan in advance which I rarely do, they become your best companion during high tea, midnight snack and the next day morning tea partner. You get the gist?

The only thing I really missed was the glaze. But since my family is right now going through overdose of sweetness in their lives, I tried to keep it calm and just kept them plain and simple.

And because I just could not have enough, I also made this amazing Babka bread which I saw on pinterest and was intrigued by its twisting design. And to add Ozzy's interest to it, I bought in Nutella's help and it worked really well! Like really really well!

The recipe was sourced from: Purple Foodie's Workshop

Recipe follows:

For the basic dough: 

794 gm Flour

9 gm Instant Yeast

425 gm Warm Milk
2 tsp Salt

80 gm Sugar

6 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Egg for the dough

for Rolls:

30 gm softened butter
2 tsp Cinnamon
60 gm Caster Sugar

Icing sugar for dusting {or make a glaze}

for Babka bread

30 gm softened butter
2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 cup Nutella spread
60 gm Caster Sugar

Icing sugar for dusting {or make a glaze}

Procedure:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk and keep aside for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add flour, salt, oil, egg and sugar together. Make a well in between and add milk in the middle mixing slowly together. Once they are evenly mixed together, start kneading until it becomes soft and flexible.

Place the dough ball in well greased bowl covered with cling for about 2 hours or until it is doubled in volume. 

knock down the dough and divide it into 2 parts: for rolls and bread ( you could make all rolls too or just half the recipe)

for rolls:

Roll out the dough in rectangle for about half an inch of thickness.

Spread butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar uniformly.

Starting at one end, tightly roll the dough keeping seam down. pinch the seam lightly to make sure it does not break open in between.

With a metal scraper or a serrated knife, cut about 1 or 1.5 inch sections.

Arrange them in well greased pan and cover with cling to rest for about another 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 Degree F (180 degree C). Bake for 20 - 25 mins or until the top is beautifully browned.

For the babka bread:

Roll out the dough in rectangle for about half an inch of thickness.

Spread butter and Nutella. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar uniformly.

Starting at one end, tightly roll the dough keeping seam down. pinch the seam lightly to make sure it does not break open in between.

With a metal scraper or a serrated knife, cut in the middle to make two sections and leaving them joint at one end.

Roll each section outwards in a twist and and then twist them together in a braid formation.

Settle them in well greased tray or you could use loaf pan) and cover with cling to rest for about another 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 Degree F (180 degree C). Bake for 20 - 25 mins or until the top is beautifully browned.