Estonian kringle

How pretty is it?! So pretty. Now down to logistics. Here's the deal. I used the original recipe from Just Love Cookin for this dough, but found it to be  pretty dense and not as soft as I like. So I have the original recipe at the end of the post, but decided to post my go-to pull-apart loaf recipe because it's so much more light and airy. It makes the same type of dough, so if you prefer a softer bread like me, use the recipe below; if you decide you want a denser bread that doesn't rise as much but is still bread-y, go for the original recipe from Just Love Cookin.

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125°F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

At this point, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. 

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Roll the dough into a log so it stays 20-inches long. Using a large knife, cut the log in half length-wise. Braid the two halves together, keeping the inner dough layers exposed and the thickest outer layer facing the pan (confused? see the Just Love Cookin photo post, linked at the end of this recipe). 

Place the braid on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the braid to loosen the bread. Serve warm on a plate or platter.

Original recipe from Just Love Cookin
This recipe from Joy the Baker

Cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread

This bread is irresistible. Can't you tell? The top left corner is eaten off in the photo because I had to test for done-ness. Then the crew boys- wait I'm supposed to call them men- started whining if you can eat it now we want to, too. So we had many taste-testers tasting before it was even out of the oven. I die.

Hands down the best thing I've made all month.

Update: It's two days later and I'm still thinking about it. Of course it was a short-lived bread. Gone in, oh, 4 hours? Regardless...

Makes one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125°F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

At this point, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Lemon-scented pull-apart loaf

This morning my sister Rebe and I made this loaf instead of getting out of the house and going to a "real" bakery. And I will say I never thought homemade bread could make me feel so happy/jolly. As we sat at the table, pulling apart piece after piece of yum, we concluded that we couldn't have gotten a better breakfast at a bakery. "We're going to Broma Bakery today," said Rebe. I mean, the bread in itself is out-of-this-world-good. It's light and airy and has a lemon-y tang. Then the lemon cream cheese icing builds on the tang, and also balances the doughiness of the bread, making it moist and sweet. And who can resist ripping apart a perfect square of sweet bread? It's like a gimmick to eat more. Rebe and I certainly couldn't stop ourselves.

For the dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 3 lemons

Zest of 1 orange
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

For the icing: 

1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt using a rubber spatula. Meanwhile, melt the milk and butter until the butter is melted. Then, add the vanilla and the water and let sit until mixture is lukewarm. Once the dry ingredients are moistened, pour in the warm milk/butter mixture. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed while adding the eggs, one at a time. Stop the mixing, add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour, and turn the mixer on low again for about 30 seconds. Add two more tablespoons of flour, and mix for another 30-45 seconds. At this point the dough will be very sticky, but don't worry!

Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough gently until it is no longer sticky. If needed, add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm, dry place for 45-60 minutes, until the dough nearly doubles in size. The dough is ready when you poke it and your finger print stays indented.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon and orange zest with the sugar. Set aside.

Once the dough is risen, pat it down and roll it out into a 20"x12" rectangle (do measure this out, because it is important for all your dough pieces to be the same size). If your dough isn't even, use a pizza cutter to cut a perfect rectangle. Spread the melted butter (set aside for the filling) onto the dough, and make sure to use it all! Next sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the dough, rubbing the sugar mixture into the dough. Then, cut the dough into five equal 4"x12" strips. Set each strip on top of each other, so you end up with five stacked 4"x12" strips. Cut the strips into six 2"x4" rectangles. 

Transfer the rectangles to the dough pan so they stand up with the cut end face up, side by side. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an additional 30-50 minutes. 

Bake the loaf in a greased 9"x5" bread pan in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes, until the top of the loaf is golden brown. Once baked, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

While the loaf is baking, combine the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth in consistency. Pour over the warm loaf and fill in the cracks with icing. Mangia!

From Baking For All Occasions via 17 and Baking