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Cinnamon Russian Braid

6/7/2012

 
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First of all, for those of you who follow me on a reader, I just realized that my pictures are getting stretched and distorted on there. Sorry. I'm working on fixing it. I didn't realize that getting my awesome DSLR and using Photoshop would cause that....hang in there while I figure out how to fix it, and thanks for continuing to read!

Back to the good stuff. Last November I took a bread class, and we learned how to make a sweet dough and then used it to make this bread, doughnuts, and fruit swirl rolls. This, by far, was my favorite as I am a cinnamon fiend. Not only is this very easy to make, it's a beautiful loaf of bread, outside and in. I'm really not sure why it's called a Russian braid, but let's just go with it. The bread is similar to a cinnamon roll, but you use cream instead of butter. Also, the cinnamon sugar is very potent--there's much more cinnamon in the mix than for regular cinnamon rolls. A great alternative to this is subbing out the cinnamon for cocoa powder, and then you have a chocolate braid. I haven't tried this because I can't seem to move beyond the cinnamon, but I'm sure it's excellent. The next time you want a sweet treat, you definitely should try this!

While it looks like it must take a lot of time and be hard to make, it's really not. The extra steps are rolling it out, spreading the toppings on it, rolling it up, cutting it, twisting it, and cramming it into pans to rise. I think it takes the same amount of time as cinnamon rolls, and it's definitely something unique looking. Your guests will be impressed. I guarantee it.   
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Russian Braid Recipe
Makes 2 loaves
Print this recipe

For the bread:
1 cup warm milk
5 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
21 ounces all purpose flour (4 1/4 cups)

For the filling:
1/4 cup cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and warm milk (about 100 degrees). Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add butter, eggs, and salt and combine with the paddle attachment. Add in flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Switch to dough hook and knead until dough is soft and supple. This dough will be wet and sticky, but you'll want to avoid adding a lot more flour. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled (about 1 hour). If you have time, punch the dough down and place in the fridge for at least an hour. If you don't have the time, don't worry. Keep reading. 

Combine the cinnamon and sugar together. Line two 9-inch bread pans with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into two pieces, and roll each piece into a 12x17 inch rectangle. Brush with the cream, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cream. Roll each rectangle from the 12 inch side into a log. If you dough is chilled, cut each log in half lengthwise (see picture below). If your dough was not chilled, place the log in the freezer for 10-20 minutes until slightly firm (this will make it much easier to cut and work with), and then you can cut it in half lengthwise.  

Take the two pieces and loosely twist together, leaving the cut side up. Place the twists in the parchment-lined bread pans, cut side up. You'll have to squish it in there a bit. Let the loaves proof until doubled, about 30-60 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until browned. Let cool before serving.

Source: Cook Street

Here's some (hopefully) helpful pictures:
Cut the logs in half lengthwise.
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Loosely twist the pieces together, leaving the cut side up, and pinch the ends together.  
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Then cram the twist into the parchment-lined bread pan.
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Let proof (rise) for about 30-60 minutes or until almost doubled, bake, and you'll have some very pretty and tasty loaves.
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Jessica the baker link
6/7/2012 03:12:46 pm

This looks so pretty and delicious! I should give this a try! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the step-by-step photos were really helpful!

Kristina link
6/7/2012 11:50:18 pm

omy! Your bread is stunning! The braid looks so cool (and delicious!), I love how that turned out, I need to try :) !

BinomialBaker link
6/7/2012 11:53:08 pm

This is absolutely gorgeous! It looks delicious!

Kayle (The Cooking Actress) link
6/8/2012 12:09:11 am

This looks so beautiful and soooo tasty!

Jessica@A Kitchen Addiction link
6/8/2012 12:13:04 am

Wow, that is gorgeous! I have always wanted to try to make bread like that but thought it would be really hard. I might have to try it now!

myfudo link
6/8/2012 12:56:40 am

I love the intricate braid design and of course I am a sucker for cinnamon. This will be a breakfast favorite!

Dianna
6/8/2012 05:57:49 am

Your bread looks fantastic! I looked at other recipes for this bread and NONE look as good as yours! Thank you for posting the how to pics--they are always so helpful.

I see that some of the others have used cocoa or poppyseed filling rather than cinnamon. Do you think it would be good with almond paste or too strong?

She Makes and Bakes
6/8/2012 07:39:15 am

Thanks! I think almond paste would be really good! It wouldn't look as cool inside without the stripes, but you should try it and report back! My gut is saying skip the cream, and try it with one loaf to start. You could make changes to the second loaf after you do the first one. Good luck!

Jenna @ Little Kitchen Big Flavors link
6/8/2012 10:15:45 am

What an impressive looking bread! I have never seen something like this before. And unlike a cinnamon roll, no glaze required!

Tastefully Julie link
6/9/2012 05:23:18 am

Gorgeous! I'm sure I won't be able to do it ;)

Justin link
6/9/2012 08:16:25 am

That looks just amazing, next cinnamon bread is being made like that!

Debra Kapellakis
6/11/2012 02:23:56 am

That is so pretty and yummy.

Rachel link
6/13/2012 03:03:29 am

Looks amazing! I have to try this recipe!

pru
6/20/2012 07:12:37 pm

Quick question, for the refrigeration part: would it be all right to prep the dough the night before, and fridge it overnight? This would be pretty rockin for a brunch but the 2 hour prep overall might be a downer in terms of timing.

She Makes and Bakes
6/20/2012 09:33:50 pm

You could either make the dough and refrigerate that overnight and then roll it out, add the filling, etc. the next morning or do all the steps and once you have the dough in the pans, stick those in the fridge, covered, overnight. The next morning, take them out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before you put them in the oven to bake. Also, they're really good the next day, too. The bread still tastes great if you bake it one day and eat the next morning. Enjoy!

Gabriela
7/1/2012 04:28:03 pm

Hello!! This bread looks amazing. But one question: is the yeast active dry or rapid/fast acting? Thank you!

She Makes and Bakes
7/2/2012 05:52:46 am

You can use either as long as you dissolve it in the warm milk first like the instructions say.

Tumbleweed Contessa link
1/26/2013 03:22:33 am

Yummy and pretty. Can't beat that. I have featured this here: http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/weekly-rays-of-sunshine-12-and-13/

Michelle
11/8/2014 10:56:54 am

This looks awesome. Was looking up brioche recipes and came across this one, think I'm gonna switch gears and make this instead!. Thanks for sharing :)

Megan
2/8/2015 11:55:06 am

This bread turned out awesome!!!!!! The texture is fantastic and it rose so well. It probably didn't hurt that it got a nice long proof because I realized I had left the eggs I bought at the grocery store the night before at the grocery store. Is this a recipe that you've developed to be high-altitude friendly?


Comments are closed.

     Welcome!

    Cooking is fun and easy at high altitude, but baking can be frustrating. About 90% of my recipes work everywhere, but some are adjusted so us mountain dwellers can enjoy baked goods from scratch. I hope you find great recipes on here for your family, and I'll let you know if any are adjusted for high altitude. 

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