Cardamom Breakfast Loaf

Lighter than a cinnamon roll, but just as tasty. The simple sweetness of this cardamom bread is perfect warm with melted butter.

 
Recipe
1/2 cup milk 
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature  
1/2 cup water 
Seeds from 10 cardamom pods, crushed 
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting 
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/4 cup sugar 
1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) quick-rise yeast 
Canola oil for bowl
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water

Filling Recipe
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
1/4 cup sugar 
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the milk, butter, water and cardamom seeds and heat until warm (105° to 115°F).

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 1 cup of the flour, the salt, sugar and yeast and gradually beat in the warm milk mixture on low speed. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of the flour to make a soft dough that holds its shape. Knead with the dough hook, adding the remaining flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 6 to 7 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat with the oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and cinnamon.

Dust a rimmed baking sheet with flour. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch plain border on all sides. Starting at the long side farthest from you, roll up the rectangle toward you into a log. Place the roll, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.

Using scissors and cutting at an angle, snip the roll at 1/2-inch intervals, cutting almost halfway through. Pull and push the snipped sections of dough alternately to the left and right, twisting each section slightly to expose the spiral inside. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Brush the loaf with the egg yolk mixture. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool. The loaf can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Makes 1 loaf.

Note: I used ground cardamom in the dough and incorporated 2 tsp in with the cinnamon.

Recipe from Williams Sonoma