A loaf of bread and a batch of cinnamon rolls... from scratch

We had our first major brush with winter weather this week - a typical DC mix of snow, ice, and rain, creating a big, ugly, slushy, frozen mess. The kiddos were, of course, very thrilled to have three full days off from school. In honor of snow day #1, I decided to make some bread from scratch, entirely by hand, foregoing the bread machine and even the Kitchenaid.


I adapted a couple of recipes from my files to make a big, beautiful loaf of white sandwich bread and a cake pan full of yummy cinnamon rolls. One batch of bread dough will yield either two loaves of bread, two 9" cake pans of cinnamon rolls, or one of each.

White Bread and/or Cinnamon Rolls

(Makes two loaves, 18 cinnamon rolls, or one loaf and 9 cinnamon rolls)

·         2 C warm water (110 degrees F)

·         1/3 C white sugar

·         1½ Tbsp active dry yeast

·         1½ tsp salt

·         ¼ C extra-virgin olive oil

·         5 C bread flour

Cinnamon Roll Filling

·         1/3 C dark brown sugar

·         1/3 C white sugar

·         2 tsp cinnamon

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         < 1/8 tsp ground cloves

·         2+ Tbsp melted butter

1.       In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then stir in the yeast. Allow to proof until a creamy foam develops – about 30 minutes or so – the longer the yeast is allowed to proof, the lighter & foamier it gets, the lighter the texture of the bread will be.

2.       Mix salt and olive oil into the yeast, then mix in the flour, one cup at a time. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

3.       Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, and turn to coat evenly. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (I set the oven to “warm” and set the bowl on top of the stove to aid the rising process.)

4.       Punch dough down, knead for a few minutes, and divide in half.

5.       At this point, you may

a.        shape each half into a loaf and place into well-oiled 9”x5” loaf pans. OR

b.       roll out each half into an approximately 12”x9” rectangle, with the long side facing you. For each rectangle: Brush with melted butter, sprinkle evenly with half the cinnamon roll filling, then roll tightly, pinching the seam to seal it. Using a serrated knife, slice into approximately 1 ½” slices. Gently pat into shape, and place into 9” cake pan brushed generously with melted butter. OR

c.        make one loaf and one pan of cinnamon rolls, as described above.

6.       Allow to rise for 30 minutes or so, until dough has risen to 1” above loaf pan or to top of cake pan.

7.       If baking bread: Bake in preheated 350 F oven for approximately 30 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If baking cinnamon rolls: Cover cake pan with aluminum foil, bake in preheated 350 F oven for about 12 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 12-18 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.