Charlene's Recipe

Cinnamon Bread

Category: Bread

Makes 12 small or 6 large
Complete in 5 hours and 20 minutes

1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
3/4 cup sugar
2 envelopes active dry yeast
5-6 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
5 eggs, at room temperature (reserve one for glaze)
1 Tbsp cold water
Decorator frosting (i also have the recipe to that)
Liquid food coloring
Small round candies or jelly beans

Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan. Place pan over low heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and let milk cool to lukewarm temperature (110).
Stir together warm water and 1 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over surface; let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Combine 4 cups of flour, remaining sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add 4 eggs, yeast mixture and warm water; stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft but not sticky dough.
Knead dough by hand on a lightly floured surface or with an electric mixer with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 350.
Whisk together reserved egg and 1 Tbsp cold water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Uncover bread; brush in egg wash. Brush each a second time. Bake in heated 350 oven; 15 minutes for small ones or 20 minutes for large ones or unti bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove to a rack to cool completely before decorating.
Tint batches of frosting with coloring. Spoon into pastry bags.