Okay, so yesterday I got this HUGE craving for donuts. But, like, I also wanted something more substantial, you know? That’s when the idea for cinnamon sugar donut bread smacked me in the face. I figured, why not combine the best of both worlds?
Getting Started
First, I gathered all my ingredients. I’m talking flour, sugar, yeast, the usual suspects for bread. Then, of course, the stars of the show: cinnamon and more sugar for that classic donut coating.
The Dough-Making Process
I started by activating the yeast. I always mess this part up, seriously. It’s like, is the water too hot? Too cold? This time, though, I think I nailed it. I mixed the yeast with some warm water and a bit of sugar and let it sit until it got all foamy and happy.
Then, I combined the dry ingredients in a big bowl – flour, sugar, a pinch of salt. Once the yeast was ready, I poured it into the dry ingredients along with some melted butter and milk. Time to get messy!
I kneaded the dough for a good 10 minutes. It started out all shaggy and sticky, but slowly, it became this smooth, elastic ball. I placed it in a greased bowl, covered it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place. I think I left it for about an hour, maybe a bit longer. It doubled in size, which was super satisfying.
Shaping and Baking
After the dough had risen, I punched it down (so fun!) and divided it into smaller pieces. I rolled each piece into a ball and let that rise a second time. I really, really wanted them fluffy. That second rise took another half hour.
Finally, baking time! I preheated my oven. While the dough was doing the mini-rise deal, I melted some more butter and mixed together cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl.
I brushed each dough ball with melted butter, then rolled them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, making sure they were completely coated. Donut-ify complete!
Into the oven they went, 350f, I think the timer was set for 20-ish minutes. The smell that filled my kitchen was AMAZING. Like, seriously, my mouth was watering the entire time.
The Finished Product
When they were golden brown and looked perfectly cooked, I pulled them out of the oven. I let them cool for a few minutes (the hardest part, honestly) before devouring one. And oh. my. goodness. It was SO good. The bread was soft and fluffy, and the cinnamon-sugar coating gave it that perfect sweet, slightly crunchy texture. Just like a donut, but, like, BREAD. Success!
