I love toast – and this bread makes the most wonderful toast. Slightly sweet with a touch of cinnamon, it’s fantastic with fresh butter and equally good turned into french toast. I usually make two of these because the first one disappears rather quickly! This recipe has been adapted from the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

1/4 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

5 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

In a large bowl, mix water and yeast until yeast is dissolved. Add milk, butter, sugar, egg and salt. Stir well. Mix in two cups of the flour. Gradually add in the remaining flour until dough comes together and is no longer sticky. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 7 – 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled – about 1 hour. Punch down dough and roll into a 8 x 18-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up dough and pinch ends closed. Place seam side down in a lightly greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour. Whisk egg and brush over surface of bread. You can sprinkle the top with additional cinnamon and sugar if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through. Makes 1 loaf.

This recipe cost $1.30 to make – my local grocery store sells cinnamon bread for $3.99 in the bakery section. This is a much better deal! I have often made the dough at night and pulled it out of the refrigerator for the second rise in the morning. I can’t think of a better smell to wake up to than homemade bread (except maybe coffee)!

What are your favorite breakfast breads? Do you start them the night before or do you make it in the morning? I’d love to hear from you!

You might also like: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Hearty Oatmeal Molasses Bread

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