Cinnamon bread in a hurry: a loaf born of panic.
A blog reader, Sue, posted this comment yesterday. And it sent me running for the kitchen: literally.
“Now a question for you, something I’ve tried to have answered a couple of times before - the recipe for Easy Cinnamon Bread posted on the KA Flour website calls for an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2” pan which I found is too small; a 9 x 5” pan is perfect. I keep checking back to see if the pan size has been changed……..not so far!! Love the Bakers’ Banter and, of course, the great recipes. THANKS!”
I felt a moment of panic. Oh, no… If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on here at King Arthur Flour, it’s that our recipes WORK. Yeah, they taste good, they’re often imaginative, sometimes (though not often, for me) they’re even gorgeous, something you’d be proud to make the centerpiece of an elegant dessert buffet. But most of all—they work. They turn out the way they’re supposed to. THE RECIPE IS ACCURATE. Thus my sinking heart at Sue’s comment.
I found the Easy Cinnamon Bread recipe online. Yup, it calls for an 8 ½” x 4 ½” pan. I see it would take probably just under 2 hours start to finish. I glance at my watch: 3:30 p.m. If I start RIGHT NOW… thus my sprint to the kitchen. (Usually it takes me 21 seconds to get to the test kitchen from my desk, barring any hallway chitchat. This time, it must have taken under 10 seconds…)
I quickly gather the simple ingredients and make the batter.
This bread is interesting, in that it includes both yeast and baking powder. It needs to rest for an hour before baking; so an hour goes by, and now it’s like 4:45. It’s time to stir in the baking powder and cinnamon chips. OH NO! Baking powder, yes. Cinnamon chips, no—the cupboard is bare. “Oh darn,” I say (or words to that effect), and tear down the stairs to our warehouse, which is on the ground floor below the test kitchen.
The warehouse folks have almost all gone home; the usual bustling aisles are silent. Back upstairs I run, to find someone who can tell me WHERE TO FIND CINNAMON CHIPS IN THE WAREHOUSE. A bit of computer noodling from Andrea (my fellow test baker and computer-savvy savior) tells me the chips are in “J1D3.” Back down:
HA! There they are, the little rascals! I grab a bag and sprint back up the stairs.
Into the risen batter go the baking powder and chips.
I select a bread pan from the shelf and, just in case, measure it. Yup; 8 ½” x 4 ½”.
Unless you see them side by side, you can sometimes mistake an 8 ½” x 4 ½” for a 9” x 5”. But this one was the right size. Now, the question: Is it the right size for the cinnamon bread recipe?
I fill the pan, sprinkle the batter with cinnamon sugar—looking good, not too full.
Finally, put it in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. Now it’s past 5 p.m., and everyone’s pretty much cleared out; the kitchen is quiet. Holding my breath, I peer into the oven and see:
Success! The bread has risen beautifully, and hasn’t overflowed. BUT: had I used a pan even 1/2” smaller, I might have been in trouble.
Problem is, oftentimes pans labeled 8 ½” x 4 ½” are actually calling out exterior measurements; a TRUE measurement is taken from the pan’s interior dimensions. So, when a manufacturer calls it a 9” cake pan, it might actually be 8 ½”; or a 9” x 13” pan might really measure 8 ½” x 13”. Good thing to remember, when you’re buying pans: measure the inside.
Another good thing to remember: here at the Baker’s Catalogue, we very carefully measure pans. What we say is what you’ll get.
So Sue, I’m not sure why your 8 ½” x 4 ½” pan doesn’t work for this recipe. But I’d take a ruler to it, and make sure it’s really what it says: 8 ½” x 4 ½” x 2 1/2” high. And, thanks for reminding me about this great Cinnamon Bread recipe… It’s easy, it’s truly delicious, AND I can throw it together late on a Monday afternoon and enjoy it Tuesday morning for breakfast—which I just did!
Find the complete recipe online: Easy Cinnamon Bread.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
I love the idea of this, but am trying to use more whole grains. Could you substitute some whole wheat or whole wheat cake flour for part of the AP flour, and if so, what proportion do you recommend?
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:16 am
Dear P.J.
Wow, I sure opened Pandora’s box……and what a response I received!!! I quickly retrieved two of my loaf pans from the cupboard and lo and behold, the one I’d first tried - marked 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-5/8 on the bottom - proved to be less than that inside, undoubtedly the reason the batter remained raw in the middle despite baking longer than should have been necessary. The other pan proved to be much closer to what the recipe calls for which is why it’s worked successfully. Can’t thank you enough for a more-than-adequate answer!!! Just one more of many reasons why the folks at King Arthur are THE BEST!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
I like your description of running around baking the bread! If only I had a warehouse stocked with cinnamon chips!
I’ve made this bread before and it is to die for! I try NOT to make it because I could easily devour the entire loaf in one day!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
This is by far the best log out there! I love your tried and true recipes, actually feeling like I get to know the authors, oh, and that King Arthur products rock! Thanks for all your time that goes into this blog! Maybe I should start a fan club. LOL
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Lori, I’d substitute some of our white whole wheat flour - you could try up to half. I wouldn’t substitute whole wheat cake flour (I’ve never heard of whole wheat cake flour, so wouldn’t know how to use it…). Nor whole wheat pastry flour; the protein is too low. Try white whole wheat, half and half; or traditional (red) whole wheat, substituting 1/3. I haven’t tried it, but that’s my best guess…
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I just got my email saying my cinn.chips had just shipped and I wanted to see if there were any good recipes using them. I was so excited not only to see this recipe layed out for me step by step, but I got to see the warehouse and the stock of fellow cinn.chip bags that my bag must have just been pulled out of that day. Nerdy I know but fun too! I can’t wait to try it when my box arrives.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Katie: Welcome to BNU (pronounced like gnu, but with a “b”): Baking Nerds United!! Is your idea of an all-nighter waiting to see if your starter rises? You’re one of us. Is your idea of the icing on the cake REALLY icing on cake? You’re one of us. (I have a whole mess of these at work, just can’t remember them at the moment…)
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I have cinnamon flav-r-bites. Can I substitute them for the chips? I think because the of the resting time, they would be fine, but it doesn’t hurt to check!
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:26 am
Jules, it seems like they’d be just fine - go for it!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I can’t wait for Passover to be over and I can make this recipe! It looks so good and seems really easy (and fast)! I really love the pictures of the warehouse…like our very own behind the scenes tour!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
For Katie - the VERY best use of cinnamon chips that I know of is in the KAF Cookie Companion, page 298, “Mocha Mudslides”. The recipe calls for 1 cup of chocolate OR cinnamon chips. At our house, we use 1/2 cup of each plus the cappucino chips (available at our local World Market store if not elsewhere). If your family is like mine, you’ll rarely get to taste these cookies a day old, they are just too good fresh out of the oven.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
It’s almost dinnertime, but I just must make a loaf of this bread right now. It looks absolutely delicious.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:13 am
I haven’t tried the mocha mudslides, but I think the best cinnamon chip use is cinnamon-pecan scones from the KAF whole grain baking. (Its one of the possible substitutions in the oat raisin scones recipe,) I always get rave reviews. BTW, I almost always make mini- scones- cutting each scone into four triangles. This makes them more cookie sized and people don’t look at one say its too big, break into pieces (and then eat all the pieces)It also makes it easier to make scones for a large group.
When I made the cinnamon bread I didn’t have enough cinn chips so I substituted some Heath toffee chips. I though the end result was very tasty.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Last night I made the Cinnamon Apple Bars in the KA Whole Grain baking book - delicious place to use cinnamon chips! They are moist, good apple flavor and were enthusiastically received by dinner guests and now my 17 year old daughter is eating them for breakfast! I did make a couple changes - omitted the peanut butter glaze ( thought it wouldn’t be necessary and might be too sticky for my taste), used half butter and half oil and did not bother to food process the oats but instead used quick oats. I also added some pecans, my daughter (not a big nut fan suggests next time use dried cranberries). We didn’t miss the glaze at all, in fact I will probably use a little less sugar next time. By the way, I’m a dietitian and really enjoy this cookbook and this blog. I do find lots of the recipes can be “tweaked” to be less saturated fat so better for controlling one’s cholesterol. Thanks!
April 29th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I’m looking forward to making this easy cinnamon bread and this brings a question to mind relating to cinnamon rolls.. Since cinnamon and yeast “do not play well together”, does the same hold true for cardamom? I like to use about 1/2 tsp cardamom in my cinnamon roll dough for a little more depth in taste and haven’t had any problems that I know of. Does the amount used play into the results, either with cinnamon or cardamom? This blog reading can become addictive!!!
April 29th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
We made this Cinnamon Bread this weekend, and I baked it about 7 minutes longer than the recommended time. It was perfect, until we got to the middle slices today, which were a little “damp” in the center.
Has anyone tried to divide this batter/dough in cupcake pans? If so, how many would it fill, and how long would it bake? Just a thought. I’m also considering using the tiny pans that I used to make pumpkin breads in at Thanksgiving. I think I used three of them for a “normal” loaf of the pumpkin bread. Just wondering.
I’d appreciate your thoughts about this. Thanks!
April 29th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Loretta, cardamom shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Charlotte, it would probably work well in cupcake pans - it would probably fill about 10, and would probably bake about 25-30 minutes at 350°F (my educated guess).
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I just baked this this morning, and I don’t keep cinnamon chips on hand, so I popped in some mini-chocolate chips. I think I would like cinnamon better, but the chocolate chips were a great substitution.
Quick and easy! Yum!
May 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I hope I am not posting this twice, I seemed to have a computer glich when I tried to post it the first time.
I made this bread yesterday and we had it for breakfast today. It tasted good and had a great cinnamon flavor, but was a bit dry. I used one cup of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of King Arthur AP as suggested in an early comment. When I mixed the dough before rising I had to use my dough hook on my stand mixer to finish mixing. After rising I again used the dough hook to mix in the baking powder and cinammon chips. No way could I have spooned the dough into the pan as the recipe says to do. Could the whole wheat flour be why my batter was so dry? Overall, I would say any of my bread doughs tend to be drier than what the recipe indicates it will be. Why would this be?
May 5th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Joyce, yes, whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose, so the batter would be a bit drier. Or if you live in a very dry climate, the flour will naturally absorb more liquid. However, you also might be packing too much flour into your measuring cup, which is the more likely culprit. A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces; by scooping (rather than sprinkling) flour into your cup, you can get as much as 5 1/2 ounces into a cup, which would translate to an additional 3/4+ cup flour in this recipe - that’s a lot! The more flour, the drier the batter, the drier the bread. Next time, if you’re not already doing this, try fluffing up the flour in the canister with a spoon; then sprinkling it (with a scoop or spoon) into the measuring cup till it’s overflowing; then leveling it off with the back of a table knife. This should give you 4 1/4 ounces flour. Hope this solves your challenge!
May 5th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I am really enjoying this blog…been scratch baking for over 40 years…but I missed something along the way….the comment about yeast and cinnamon “not playing well together” …please…an explanation…thanks..db
May 5th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Dorri, I don’t know the chemical explanation, but cinnamon and garlic both slow down yeast’s growth, which slows down your bread’s rise. I’ve found that under 1 teaspoon cinnamon per 3 cups of flour doesn’t have TOO much effect, but more and the rise slows way down.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hi, So enjoy your website and really like the illustrated blog area. I’ve just discovered that. I have made a simple Cuban bread for years. I need to make them into rolls for a special Youth dinner. I could use some directin on how I might do this. I need it for tomorrow (and will go and try it on my own). I my unskilled version turns out well, I will send my info on to you. The bread goes into a cold oven, bread round slashed with an X. It opens like a lovely, crusty flower. Thanks. Olga
May 9th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Ooooh….I sure hope you had your warehouse manager do the proper transaction to relieve the inventory on the cinnamon chips!! When they count the bags, no one will be able to figure out why there’s a shortage!! My dream job would be to work in a baking supply warehouse that had enthusiastic test bakers in the kitchen upstairs!!!
Just discovered this blog and I’m hooked. Thanks.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Olga, it’s easy to make rolls from bread, just divide the dough into how many rolls you want, shape into ovals or rounds, space on baking sheet, rise, and bake - a somewhat shorter amount of time than a loaf. Hope they turned out great!
May 9th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Amy, don’t worry - I always tell Robin, our inventory maven, when I go “snitch” something from the shelves. You’re right, it has to come out of inventory officially - and our warehouse crew is known for how accurate their cycle counts are, so I wouldn’t think of goofing them up!
May 11th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
PJ, I made this today, two loaves, measured the pan inside and it still was too much for it. Took forever to bake, still don’t know if it is done inside till I cut it tomorrow AM when it’s totally cold. Also, didn’t rise up as high as yours, just drooped over the pan. I cut the overhang off to get it out of the pan and the scraps tasted great! I made one loaf with AP flour and one with pastry flour. The pastry one looks best.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I saw this on the blog today and promptly went to the cupboard and had EXACTLY one cup left of my KAF cinnamon chips — is this destiny or what? Seriously…that is some amazing bread. My husband, who almost never finishes one serving of any dessert, went back for a second slice. It was easy and came out great — but one question. Why the hour wait time? I didn’t notice a significant rise in the dough which I expected because of the yeast? Any more amazing recipes you’d like to share with those cinnamon chips? I’m ready to place an order to refill my supply!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Nicole, glad you had those chips handy! They’re gooooood. Thanks for your question - because you asked, I’ve amended the blog to include the answer. the hour rest does three things: 1) it allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully; 2) it gets the yeast going, even though you can’t really see it; and 3) it relaxes the gluten. All of these things help the bread rise better. As for furtgher cinnamon chip recipes, I especially love our Kids’ Choice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies; and Cinnamon Smear Scones, substituting cinnamon chips for the butterscotch chips. Enjoy!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Candace, I’m flummoxed, sorry. The pastry flour shouldn’t have risen as high; should have been flatter. Is that what happened? Also,the pastry flour one would have been more likely to fall apart in the toaster (was it the pastry flour one that fell apart?Less gluten makes it harder to hold itself together.) Can’t imagine why it’s still too much for your pan.
this is one of those instances where it’s just so hard to diagnose from afar…
May 25th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Hi PJ,
This recipe reminded me of a recipe I think was from KA using a slack dough for bread making. I believe there was a recipe to the New York Times. Does this ring a bell? I’m very interested in trying this technique.
Louise
Hi Louise - There’s a recipe on our Web site called Absolutely No-Knead Crusty-Chewy Bread, based on the NY Times version. It’s really nothing like this cinnamon bread, but I think that’s what you’re looking for - enjoy! - PJ
May 28th, 2008 at 3:16 am
this bread looks great, but i’m confused - the recipe you link to doesn’t call for an hour wait once the dough is in the pan, but you call for it here….? (is that as much of an issue as the size of the pan….can i skip the extra wait in a pinch?)
thanks
Yeah, you’re right, Non: in the recipe, the batter rests for an hour before you add the chips and baking powder. In my post, I added the chips and baking powder, then spooned it into the pan and let it rest—which actually makes more sense to me, since it gets a chance to rise a bit in the pan without being knocked down. But both methods work. Skip the rest entirely? Go for it - and let us know how it works. - PJH
May 30th, 2008 at 5:48 am
sorry, i misunderstood. I thought you left it for two risings, and was asking if I could skip the second one. But it only has one rise, correct?
Thanks.
May 30th, 2008 at 5:56 am
yeah, in the way you have the recipe written here, you let it rest twice:
“This bread is interesting, in that it includes both yeast and baking powder. It needs to rest for an hour before baking; so an hour goes by, and now it’s like 4:45. It’s time to stir in the baking powder and cinnamon chips…..
Into the risen batter go the baking powder and chips….
I fill the pan, sprinkle the batter with cinnamon sugar—looking good, not too full.
Let it rest for an hour, which gives the yeast a chance to get growing; the gluten to relax a bit, and the flour to absorb the liquid fully, all of which will help the bread rise better in the oven. Finally, put it in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.”
Well, clearly I was in such a dither I didn’t follow my own directions! Bottom line: I’m going back to what I originally did, which worked just fine. Make the batter, let it rest for an hour, stir in the chips and baking powder, then put it into the pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake. - PJH
sounds like you gave it two rests.
If it only has one rest, and in the original recipe it calls for transferring the batter right before baking, that might knock down the dough and get it to rise less….fitting into a smaller pan better, no? (i write that wrt the original question)
Using the method you describe in the comment (make batter, transfer to pan, and give it only one rise in the pan) do you sprinkle with cinammon sugar right before baking or when you put it in the pan and before you let it rest?
May 30th, 2008 at 6:14 am
now i am wondering if candace gave it two rises and that is why it was too much for her pan?
June 20th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I made this three times. I love the flavor but each time it came out all gooey in the middle but the top and sides were nice and brown. If I baked it longer the top would burn. I did the one hour rest before adding the chips and baking powder and the size was fine. Please advise.
Randi, try lowering your oven temperature 25°; your oven might be running hot. And tent the bread with foil halfway through, so it doesn’t burn on top. Make sure you’re baking in the center of the oven, too, not bottom or top. Good luck! - PJH
June 21st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Thank you for this wonderful posting!
Maybe between the temp (73) and humidity(80) here (just outside Atlantic City, NJ), they just need more room. I’ve also had to let them bake about 15 minutes longer. I tented them and they’re fine. Now, of course fine for me isn’t as beautiful as PJ’s were, but rustic is in right? This time I used one metal and one glass pan (I’m wild that way.). Next time I’ll use my Bennington loaf pans, and I’ll report back, if anyone’s interested.
I had just ordered the cinnamon chips, figuring I would use them in scones, when I came across this blog for the first time.
A couple of days ago I was the fortunate receipent of some “overflow” garden plants from a lovely neighbor. I tried to think of something I could give her in return, as a small token of my appreciation for her generosity. Not knowing her very well, I had no idea of her general likes and dislikes. Thanks to you I will be able to show her just how much her kind offering meant to me.
It’s baking now, and it smells wonderful. I doubled the recipe (can’t give something to someone else that you haven’t tested out, right?), made two loaves in the recommended pan size, but next time I think I will use a larger pan. They look a little like breakfast for the stay-puff marshmallow man
Really, I do appreciate everyone’s involvement here. I think all of our comments can be helpful and encouraging to others…I know they are to me!
Pan sizes vary so wildly, Nancy, sometimes it’s hard to make a recipe where “one size fits all.” I like your style - just give it a try, and so what if it doesn’t come out perfect. That’s actually my style, as well -it’s very seldom I bake something that turns out beautiful. When I do, it’s totally accidental! But thanks for the compliment, that loaf was one of my lucky ones,I guess. -PJH
July 19th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Could this recipe be made in the KA Tea Loaf Pan?
I love them for banana bread, etc.
Yes, Sabrina, I do believe it could - never tried it, but don’t see why not… just adjust the baking time down a bit.good luck1 - PJH