August 23, 2014 - 9:03am
A beginner question about cinnamon bread
I have tried several different recipes for cinnamon bread. They have all turned out pretty decent (beginner here-pretty decent being edible and having a cinnamon swirl and taste). But every. single. time. there is a gap between the crust and the bread when it's sliced (after the first slice, it looks like a cavern to the other end of the loaf) I've rolled it, tightly, per one recipe. I folded it, loosely, per another. And countless other combinations of roll, fold, tightly, loosely. What am I doing to make that gap? Is it the cinnamon layer that's preventing the dough from adhering? If so, why only at the top/crust layer and not at every swirl?
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Is it the cinnamon layer that's preventing the dough from adhering? If so, why only at the top/crust layer and not at every swirl?
Yes, this is what is happening possibly combined with a "flying crust". You can search for that term on this site to learn more about it. When you are sprinkling the cinnamon mixture, try leaving the top few inches clean without cinnamon so that when you roll the dough no cinnamon is right at the top of the loaf.
Jeff
Thank you! I will definitely leave the cinnamon mixture off of the top few inches. I'll also research "flying crust." I'm so relieved just to have a possible name for it :)
Hi Jeff are you using sugar with the cinnamon that you sprinkle on the dough and are you washing the dough prior to that application?
When i do cinnamon scrolls i wash the dough lightly either with plain water or occasionly with a cornflour paste if i have it over from washing the tops of bread loaves prior to adding seeds.This is simply made witH a teaspoon of CF and 1 to 2 cups of water bought to the boil to become a paste, the cinnamon and sugar is about 1/3 cinnamon to 2/3 sugar. The advantage of the paste is that it does not run like water does.
i have been told of a challenge with cinnamon and that is for anyone to swallow a spoon of cinnamon powder, being so dry it sticks to the moisture of the mouth and usually ends up being snorted out the nose quite dramaticlly. probably best done outside the kitchen with a galss of water handy. Or perhaps not at all!
The last tip will not make better cinnamon scrolls but the first two might
regards Derek
"...are you using sugar with the cinnamon that you sprinkle on the dough and are you washing the dough prior to that application?"
Right now I am doing neither. My hope was to give the poster the simplest answer to the dilemma without adding any degree of difficulty to the process. Your suggestion would certainly help.
Jeff
I too think that your cinemaon layer was to close to the edge.
Hope that the next one gives you the desired result:)
A tip I got from King Arthur website to avoid this gap: to add one to two tablespoons of flour with the cinnamon filling as it acts like sort of a glue when mixed with the cinnamon powder. When the flour gets cooked it fills the gap. This trick works for my loaves and I have been doing it ever since.