Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

This recipe from Ahead of Time is a fantastic sourdough recipe. I promise that it looks more complicated than it really is, as my 9-year-old son shaped this bread himself. The dough comes together fairly quickly, with less than 15 minutes of hands-on time to make the dough itself. Then it's about 15 more minutes the next day to make the filling and shape the bread. I love that it can be ready in less than an hour in the morning of baking from pulling the dough from the refrigerator to pulling it out of the oven.

I highly recommend slathering this with cream cheese frosting, although it would be delicious on it's own or with butter melted onto slices of it. I enjoy cutting a chunk and then peeling apart the layers. 

I have found that my baking time is longer, and I've also played around with making just a wreath without folding the ends under to ensure an even bake. Otherwise, I've found it to be a bit doughy. This is still a fairly dense loaf, not light and fluffy. It might be fluffier with more of a rise in the morning, but then it would take longer to get the deliciousness in my belly.

I highly recommend doubling the recipe, so you can either gift the second loaf or freeze it for later.

Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread
Dough
100 grams active sourdough starter
80 grams water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. sugar
350 grams all-purpose flour
40 grams butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling
50 grams butter, softened
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon 

Make sure your starter is active when you prepare the dough. You can ensure it's active by testing if a small amount floats in a glass of room-temperature water.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, water, yogurt, egg and sugar. Add in the flour, and whisk to combine. It may take a bit of of stirring or using your hands to combine, so no flour is visible. Cover the bowl, and let it stand for one hour.

After an hour, mix in the salt and melted butter. I find that it works best by mixing with my hands to work the butter into the dough. 

Let the dough stand for 30 minutes, and then gently fold it onto itself, pulling the dough up from each of the four sides. Let the dough rest again for 30 minutes, and then gently fold it onto itself. Let the dough rest 30 more minutes, and then gently stretch and fold the dough. 

Let the dough rest for an hour or so to let it rise until nearly doubled. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased container, and cover it with a lid. Chill for 8 to 12 hours.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, mix together filling ingredients to form a paste. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it to 20 x 12 inches. Scoop the cinnamon paste onto the dough, reserving 1 Tbsp. of paste. Gently spread the paste onto the dough, only leaving 1/2-inch empty around all the edges. 

Roll the dough into a log, so that you have a 20-inch log. Cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving 1-inch on one end intact. Gently twist the halves, so the cut side is facing up. Gently braid the two halves by twisting them together while keeping the cut sides with the cinnamon filling exposed facing upwards. Pinch the ends together to form a coiled rope. Pull it together to form a circle, and tuck the two ends together in the middle like a wreath. Gently transfer to parchment paper, and brush with the remaining cinnamon sugar paste. You can also do an egg wash by beating an egg with a Tbsp. of water and brushing the dough with that if you want it to be a more golden color. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (I find it takes at least 25 minutes.)

Serve warm, ideally with cream cheese frosting.