Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I made this bread the other day, and everyone seemed to like it, especially the kids.  This is not the quickest bread recipe, but it's really not very hard either--it just takes a bit of time.
Yield: 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

Bread Dough

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry, active yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour 

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons cinnamon
• milk for brushing

Glaze

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter until butter melts.  Cool until mixture is lukewarm (about 110 degrees)
2. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a mixer (you can do this in the bread-mixer) if you want.  Beat in sugar and eggs, and blend at a low speed.  Add salt, lukewarm milk mix, 2 cups of flour--mix until well blended, for about a minute.  Add 1 1/4 cups of flour, and knead at medium-low speed, adding more flour until dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the bowl (or your fingers when you pinch it).  This will probably take about 10 minutes.
3. Once dough is smooth, soft, and elastic transfer it to a large oiled bowl to rise in.  Make sure and oil both side of the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in size (2-2 1/2 hours).  After it has risen, punch down the center (you can refrigerate it at this point for up to a day if you need to).  Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Grease sides and bottom of bread pan.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you can throw in raisins, nuts, etc at this point too).
5. Roll the dough into a rectangle, as close to 8x18" as you can (lightly flour counter if dough sticks), and brush it with milk.  Sprinkle filling evenly over dough, leaving 1/2" border along far end.  Starting with the close end, roll up dough, and push sides in if it gets wider than 9".  When you reach the end, pinch the dough together tightly to form a secure seam.  Pinch the ends together firmly as well, and place loaf seam-down in pan, pressingly lightly to flatten.
6. Cover top of pan with plastic wrap, and let it rise until dough is 1 inch above the top of the hand (this will take about an hour or so, or 2 if the dough has been refrigerated.  As the dough rises, move the oven rack to the center and heat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Meanwhile, whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl.  Gently brush loaf top with egg mixture.
8. Bake until loaf is golden brown, this should take 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.
9. Devour--once you cut it, it won't last long.

peanut butter banana bread

a lot of this comes from a banana bread recipe on allrecipes.  this recipe is calculated for one big loaf of bread.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
• 1 or 2 Tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon cream cheese
• 2+ Tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• a pinch cinnamon powder 
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• chocolate chips (for treat version)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter brown sugar, cream cheese, cinnamon and whipping cream.  I added vanilla butter nut concentrate because i'm out of regular vanilla.  Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended, and add chocolate chips if you want to. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture; but just to moisten--don't stir it too much. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
 

 This recipe is quite good.  It reminded me a bit of coffee cake, but it definitely has its own unique flavor. Enjoy!