Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I love cinnamon bread. Who doesn’t? But the guilt overwhelms me when making this treat more than once a month so I decided to make a healthier version using 1/2 wheat flour instead of all white flour. Also, I eliminated the butter and milk and use canola oil and water. I don’t even notice the difference. My original recipe started from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. One of my favorite cookbooks.  (Try the 5minute drop biscuits recipe in that book as well.)

Here is my updated healthier version of my favorite afternoon snack. And now that it’s all healthy, I’ll let the kids have it for breakfast as well. You can hardly tell the below image is 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white don’t you think? It will fool everybody.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread (makes 2 large 9x5” loaves)

4 cups wheat flour (I like hard white wheat, not red wheat)

3-4 cups white all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 cups warm water

6 tablespoons canola oil

4 egg yolks

4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Cinnamon sugar mixture for filling: 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3-4 teaspoons cinnamon (You might need to double this mixture, but usually I just go heavy on these measurements and that makes enough for the filling.

Combine the two flours, white sugar,  and salt in your Kitchen Aid mixer. In a measuring cup mix the warm water, the canola oil, egg yolks and yeast. Pour the liquid into the mixer bowl and on speed 2 knead the dough for 7-9 minutes, adding the last cup of white flour if necessary. You want the dough to be tacky but also scrape the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rise 1 to 2 hours, covered, in a greased bowl until doubled. Divide the dough in half and press into two 8x20 inch rectangles. Mist dough with water bottle. Spread with cinnamon sugar mixture. Mist again very lightly and roll up, pinching the seams shut. Place in oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans and rise another hour, covered with a tea towel. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until thermometer plunged into center of loaf is 180 degrees. Remove from pans immediately, cool 20-30 minutes and eat with butter. Or no butter if you are being extra healthy.