The Common Mistake To Avoid For The Perfect Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Soft, fluffy, and sweet, with hints of brown sugar and of course, cinnamon — a batch of cinnamon rolls pleases a crowd for all the right reasons. While no one can resist a classic cinnamon roll recipe, the popularity of this dessert has led to cinnamon roll inspired creations, like cinnamon swirl bread. If you've tasted this delicious bread before, you'll know it's got all of the flavors of a cinnamon roll, with a denser, cake-like texture. Baking your own is a sure way to get your kitchen smelling amazing but there's one mistake you should avoid when making this bread. Forgetting to brush your dough with egg white before sprinkling on your cinnamon mixture.

If you don't do this, you risk your swirl bread having large gaps between the cinnamon sugar and the dough, which happens because the sugar is dry and won't stick to the moist dough when baking. Brush your rolled dough with beaten egg white before sprinkling on the cinnamon sugar and rolling into a log. The egg whites will act as a glue, keeping the two components together when they bake. You can also poke a few holes with a skewer or toothpick on top of the bread before baking, to prevent any gaps forming from the trapped air.

When you're making cinnamon swirl bread dough, conduct a windowpane test to make sure your dough is ready to rise to its full potential. If your dough tears when you try to pull it thin, it's a sign to keep kneading. This baked bread's texture should be light and fluffy, which is why a slightly burnt bread that spent a little too long in your oven is not ideal. Baking it on a lower oven rack, as well as covering the top with aluminum foil if it looks like it's browning too fast, are great ways to ensure the softest texture.  

Don't try to swap out your white flour for whole wheat flour, as this will affect the bread's texture and make it too dense. White bread flour will give this cinnamon creation the best rise and texture. If you want a flavorful boost to your dough, allow it to rise overnight in your fridge. Just remember to let it come back to room temperature the next day before shaping it. Serve this bread sliced and toasted with butter, or instead of the brioche in your sweet french toast recipe and watch everyone run to the table quicker than you can say 'cinnamon swirl'.