This bread has the look of a classic Russenzopf, but the taste and decadence of a cinnamon roll crossed with a sticky bun. Bake this cinnamon bun bread in a Dutch oven or cloche to help contain the heat and bake the loaf more evenly. If you don't have a Dutch oven or cloche, a sheet pan and parchment along with close monitoring will work fine.
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix and knead all the ingredients together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle — until you've made a smooth dough.
Allow the dough to rise, covered, at room temperature, until it's nearly doubled in bulk — about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Rising may take longer if you haven't used SAF Gold yeast, or if you've kneaded by hand; give the dough enough time to become quite puffy.
Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 24" x 10" rectangle.
To make the filling: Mix the Baker's Cinnamon Filling and water together until they're well combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough.
To shape the loaf: Roll the dough into a log the long way, then pinch the seam closed as best you can.
Using a bench knife (or large chef's knife), cut the log in half lengthwise.
Twist the two halves together, trying to keep the cut sides facing up as much as possible. It helps to start by crossing the two strands in the middle, and then twisting them to the ends, so that you have smaller strands with which to work.
Form the twisted log into a tight coil and place it on the base of a bread baking cloche or a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven. Sprinkle the sugar and pecans on top.
Cover the loaf with the lid, and let rise until it's noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Again, this may take longer if you haven't used SAF Gold yeast; the loaf should spread to almost fill the base of the cloche.
While the loaf is rising, position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the cinnamon bun bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it's nicely golden with dark brown cinnamon streaks; the loaf's internal temperature should read between 190°F and 200°F on a digital thermometer. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven or cloche 5 to 10 minutes from the end of the bake, to allow a slight crust to form.
Remove the cinnamon bun bread from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool.
We like to bake this loaf in a covered cloche, as the contained heat helps it to bake more evenly. If you don't have a cloche, bake the loaf on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet for 35 to 45 minutes. You may need to tent the loaf with aluminum foil partway through the bake to prevent the edges and surface from browning too quickly.
