Recipe Creation: It's Becoming A Habit

It's so frustrating to look for a recipe that I have in mind and not be able to find it!! Of course, usually when this happens (which is often), I have never actually seen the recipe; it's a figment of my imagination and is one I figure someone should have thought up by now. But it doesn't exist. With dinners and non-complicated meals I can totally wing it and usually have something awesome as a result, but with baking...well, that's chemistry and can't be messed with too much or disaster will strike, and I hate to waste expensive ingredients! So I usually end up looking at three or four things that might be similar to what I have in mind, piece together something based on what I've read and what I've made before, and then I often end up with something that's edible, at the very least.

Here I am, back at the breakfast planning situation tonight. Cinnamon rolls were sounding good, but I didn't want to make something with so much added sugar and butter (because I have plans for something else tomorrow and there's the whole moderation issue). It had to be whole grain, preferably 100%, of course, and still qualify as a sweet bread that's not too laborious. Enter Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Sounds familiar, right? Well, most versions are ALL white flour, which is why they're so puffy and light, and the whole grain ones still use some regular flour, TONS of sugar, and King Arthur's version uses a preferment (which does not work for me time-wise tonight). My own version turned out perfectly, full of cinnamon flavor, not overpoweringly sweet, and with a good 100% whole grain texture that's not dense like some loaves. It's easier than cinnamon rolls, and if you really want to pack an extra sweet punch, you can top warm slices with powdered sugar or cream cheese icing, or you can turn day-old Cinnamon Swirl Bread into French Toast with maple syrup.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This recipe is easily doubled, if you'd like to make an extra loaf for the freezer.

1/2 cup very warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey (approx)
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp dry nonfat milk powder
1 1/2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Stir together the water, yeast, and honey. Let stand about 5 minutes, until foamy.

Place flour, butter, egg, salt, dry milk, and gluten in a large mixing bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the center and stir and knead by hand or machine until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic (you may need to add up to 1/4 cup more water, depending on climatic conditions for the day you choose to make it).

Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes-1 hour. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Punch dough down, then pat into a 12x7 inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll up, then pinch seam and fold ends under to seal. Place in a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.

While dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. If you like a crispy crust, leave it as-is, but if you like a satiny, soft crust, you may brush with a little melted butter (about 1/2 tbsp) while still hot.