Joy's Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Adapted from Joy Wilson
22 Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

This recipe, created in partnership with author/blogger Joy the Baker, has quickly become a favorite. The tender, rich bread is swirled with a buttery cinnamon filling and sweet, fresh berries that create, as Joy puts it, "a perfectly decadent breakfast treat." Joy bakes her bread in a cast iron skillet, but feel free to use a tube pan or monkey bread pan, which allows the bread to bake uniformly while also capturing the berry juices.

Prep
20 mins
Bake
25 to 35 mins
Total
2 hrs 35 mins
Yield
one 10" loaf
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Joy's Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread - select to zoom
Joy's Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread - select to zoom
Joy's Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread - select to zoom
Joy's Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread - select to zoom

Instructions

  1. To make the dough: Combine the yeast and sugar in a medium bowl.

  2. Whisk in the milk, egg yolk, and butter. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes; it should foam and froth.

  3. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.

  4. Add the milk mixture, and mix and knead until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.

  5. Continue to knead; by hand or mixer until the dough is smooth and soft, though not too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rest/rise for 30 minutes to an hour. While the dough is resting, make the filling.

  6. To make the filling: Mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

  7. To assemble the bread: Grease a 10" monkey bread pan or tube pan.

  8. Gently deflate the dough, then place it on a lightly greased surface and roll it into a rectangle about 18"× 12".

  9. Spread the filling evenly on top, leaving a clean 1" border around the edges. Top with the berries.

  10. Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a fairly tight log; it'll be a bit lumpy because of the berries. Some of the berries will spill out; that's OK, simply set them aside to sprinkle on top once the loaf is in the pan.

  11. Cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving 1" of one end uncut. Starting at the uncut end, twist the two pieces together to form a log, pressing the ends of the two pieces together to seal. Shape the log into a ring, pressing the ends together to seal.

  12. Transfer the loaf to the pan, cover, and let it rise for 45 minutes, until it's puffy. While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

  13. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg. Bake it for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's golden brown and bubbling.

  14. Remove the loaf from the oven, and after about 10 minutes carefully transfer it to a rack. Cool it for about 30 minutes before serving.

Tips from our Bakers

  • To mix and knead the dough in a bread machine: Pour the wet ingredients into the bucket of your bread machine. Add the flour and salt, then program the machine for dough or manual. You can let the dough rise in the bread machine; just remember to check on it 45 minutes into its rest period. It will likely double before the full hour's rest.
  • Because we're partial to a lighter-textured bread, we chose to add a second rest after we'd shaped the loaf. Joy's original recipe, without the second rest, makes an equally tasty loaf with a bit heartier texture, as well as the added benefit of being ready to serve in a shorter amount of time. For this version, shape your bread, and put it straight into a preheated 375°F oven.

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