Sweet Swirl Bread
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PFTE

This tasty sweet bread is versatile in that it can be stuffed with the filling we give a recipe for below, or with any number of delicious “shortcut” fillings. (See “tips”, below.)
A favorite part of this bread is the topping. Applied prior to baking, it gives the loaf a shiny golden crust, with a nice hint of sugar and vanilla.
At a glance
- Prep
- Bake
- Total
- Yield
- 2 fluted loaf pans, two 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pans or two 14-ounce loaves
Ingredients
Starter
- 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup water
- pinch of instant yeast
Dough
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional
Almond Filling
- 1 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel, optional (See “tips”, below.)
- 1 drop bitter almond oil or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh (soft) bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
Topping
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cold water
Starter
- 4 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 5/8 ounces water
- pinch of instant yeast
Dough
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 ounces unsalted butter
- 7 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 ounces sugar
- 3/8 ounces instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional
Almond Filling
- 3 3/8 ounces almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 3/8 ounce Instant ClearJel, optional (See “tips”, below.)
- 1 drop bitter almond oil or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/4 ounces sugar
- 3/4 ounce fresh (soft) bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
Topping
- 3/8 ounce sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cold water
Starter
- 120g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 74g water
- pinch of instant yeast
Dough
- 2 large eggs
- 71g unsalted butter
- 206g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 35g sugar
- 11g instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional
Almond Filling
- 96g almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 11g Instant ClearJel, optional (See “tips”, below.)
- 1 drop bitter almond oil or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
- 35g sugar
- 21g fresh (soft) bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
Topping
- 11g sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cold water
Instructions
- To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients in a small (2- to 3-cup) bowl, cover the bowl, and let rest overnight at room temperature. The starter will be very stiff.
- To make the dough: Combine the starter with the remaining dough ingredients, and mix and knead them — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you have a soft, smooth dough.
- Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 1 hour, or until it’s puffy but not doubled in bulk.
- Lightly grease two fluted loaf pans, two 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pans, or line a baking sheet with parchment.
- To make the filling: Mix all the ingredients together until blended.
- To shape the loaves: Gently deflate the dough, divide it in half, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Pat and roll each half into a 9″ square.
- Spread each square with about 1/2 cup filling, leaving 1/2″ free of filling on three edges. Fold two opposite edges over the filling about 1″. This will help contain it as you roll.
- Starting with the side where the filling comes right to the edge, roll the dough into a log, pinching the seam closed. Repeat with the other square.
- Starting at one end of the log, use a baker’s bench knife, or a sharp knife, to cut the log lengthwise down the middle, all the way to the opposite end. Don’t cut through the opposite end, just right up to it.
- Grab the two cut ends and twist (braid) them around one another, then fasten together once more. You now have a loaf that’s twisted in the center, exposing the filling, and sealed at each end. Repeat with the other log.
- Place one loaf into each of the pans, or onto the baking sheet. Cover the pan(s) and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes, until it’s a bit puffy, but not risen over the edge of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the topping: Mix together the topping ingredients. Brush the topping on the risen loaves.
- To bake the bread: Bake for 25 minutes. Tent it lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until it’s golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 190°F.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring the loaf to a rack to cool.
- Store, wrapped, for 5 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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