Mom's Brown Bread

This recipe for brown bread can be adapted for cinnamon swirl bread and cinnamon rolls.

#bread
Avatar of Jennifer Bell-Towne

Jennifer Bell-Towne

April 19th, 2020

Avatar of Alexander Bell-Towne

Alexander Bell-Towne

April 19th, 2020

Ingredients

Ingredients

  1. 5 cups warm water (108°F)

  2. 3 tablespoons yeast

  3. ¾ cup honey

  4. ¾ cup vegetable oil

  5. 1½ tablespoons salt

  6. 12 cups flour

    I use 3 white and 9 whole wheat.
    This can be any combo of white and whole wheat flour, as long as you maintain a 1:3 ratio or more of white to whole wheat.

  7. 4 teaspoons diastatic malt powder (optional)

    This will help with the rise and crumb of a whole wheat loaf.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread or Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Increase honey to 1 cup

  2. 1 cup softened butter

    Separated 4 X 4 tablespoons

  3. brown sugar

  4. cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. 2 tablespoons butter, softened

  2. 8 oz cream cheese, softened

  3. 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Making the Dough

  1. Pour water into mixer bowl.

  2. Add honey and stir.

  3. Sprinkle yeast on top.

  4. Let stand or 5 minutes.

  5. Add oil, salt, 3 cups white flour, and malt powder (if using).

  6. Run machine on low for 3 minutes.

  7. Run machine for 5-7 minutes while adding 1 cup of flour at a time to add the remaining flour.

    Dough will be sticky.

  8. Empty dough onto floured surface.

  9. Grease hands and kneed dough 2-3 times.

    Dough will still be sticky.

Making Bread

  1. Place ¼ of dough in each of 4 well-greased pans.

  2. Turn oven on to 350°F for one minute, then turn off.

    This will create a warm environment to let bread rise.

  3. Place pans in oven to rise.

  4. In about 30 minutes, or when the loaves are well risen, turn the oven to 350°F.

  5. Let bread bake for 25-30 minutes.

  6. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it.

    If you have an instant read thermometer you want the bread to be between 200°F and 210°F.
    If the bread gets too brown, tent with foil while baking.

  7. Take bread out of pans to cool.

    Carefully so you don't crush it.

Making Cinnamon Rolls or Cinnamon Swirl Bread

  1. Roll out each 1/4 of the dough into a rectangle about 8/12.

  2. Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter evenly on dough.

  3. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar.

  4. Sprinkle with cinnamon to your preference.

  5. Roll up tightly starting on the long side for rolls or short side for bread.

    You want a long tube for rolls and a short wide tube for loaves.

Baking Cinnamon Swirl Bread

  1. Turn oven on to 325°F for one minute, then turn off.

    This will create a warm environment to let bread rise.

  2. Place pans in oven to rise.

  3. In about 30 minutes, or when the loaves are well risen, turn the oven to 325°F.

  4. Let bread bake for 40 minutes.

  5. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it.

    If you have an instant read thermometer you want the bread to be between 200°F and 210°F.
    If the bread gets too brown, tent with foil while baking.

Baking Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Slice each log into pieces

    Anywhere from 6-12 per log, depending on the size you want.

  2. Place each slice on to a well greased pan leaving some space between them for rising.

    I put 24 on a half sheet pan, sometimes just 18.
    You can very the thickness to increase or decrease the total number or rolls.

  3. Turn oven on to 325°F for one minute, then turn off.

    This will create a warm environment to let rolls rise.

  4. Place pans in oven to rise.

  5. In about 30 minutes, or when the loaves are well risen, turn the oven to 325°F.

  6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.

  2. Whip sugar into butter and cream cheese mixture.

  3. Taste and add more sugar if desired.