ESTONIAN KRINGLE - CINNAMON BRAID BREAD

Estonian Kringle - Cinnamon Braid Bread image

I saw this Estonian kringle about an year ago and as I like bread challenges I knew the time will come to give this beauty a try. It's an easy recipe, with common ingredients yet soo delicious and soo tempting. The smell in the house while baking is divine. Hardly could someone resist this rich and buttery, mouth-watering cinnamon wreath. The interior is soo soft with crusty top, makes it perfect for breakfast or even for holiday season. You can change the filling, use cocoa powder, or only grounded walnuts or almonds, grounded poppy seeds may work as well, but always make the filling with butter. The butter between layers of dough will make a soft interior to this bread. You definitely have to give this a try, it's all worth it. Related Recipes: Poppy Seed and Walnut Rolls Cinnamon Rolls Barbeque Sweet Rolls Recipe adapted after Justlovecookin

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 tbsp sugar
15 g fresh yeast (1 envelope active dry yeast)
1/8 cup (30 g) melted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup (50 g) softened butter
4 or 5 tbsp sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp grounded almonds, optional

Steps:

In a medium bowl stir fresh yeast with sugar until it liquefies. Stir in the lukewarm milk and then add the egg yolk and melted butter.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and start kneading it until it pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Give the dough the shape of a ball. Sprinkle oil onto a clean bowl, place the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 1 hour at room temperature (warm space) until doubled in size. I usually put the bowl near my oven hob so the warmth get to it. It helps the dough rise very well.
While the dough rises, whisk together the butter with sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, using a rolling pin roll the dough to a rectangle of about 18x12 inches. (I've made it smaller but it would have been better to make it of 18 inch).
Spoon the cinnamon filling over top (keep about 1 tbsp of the filling for the end), spreading evenly, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the almonds over the cinnamon filling. Roll up the dough and using a sharp knife, cut the log in half length-wise leaving one edge uncut for about 1/2 inch.
Start braiding the two pieces, trying to keep the open layers exposed so the cut ends remain on top (this is what makes this bread effect).Pinch the ends together and form a wreath.
Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the wreath with the left cinnamon filling.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. For the last 10 minutes you can reduce the oven temperature to 180 C (350 F).
Serve it warm as it is or with your favorite topping. It is gorgeous.:)
for pictures: http://www.homecookingadventure.com/recipes/estonian-kringle-cinnamon-braid-bread