Cinnamon Braid Bread a.k.a. Estonian Kringle

"I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched." 

I've never been good at braiding my hair. It's a fact. But when you have two daughters who want to rock braids, you find yourself looking for other blogs to help you out with how to braid from scratch. While I was searching for braid styles for my daughters, I came across this fantastic website, beautified designs, where you see 57+ Ghana braids styles listed along with beautiful photos. Click on the link to check the page out 57+ Ghana Braids Styles with Pictures.

And inspired by braiding, here comes the cinnamon braid recipe. 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 tbsp sugar
15 g fresh yeast 
30 g melted butter
1 egg yolk
Filling
50 g softened butter
5 tbsp sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp grounded almonds, optional

Method
1. In a medium bowl stir fresh yeast with sugar until it liquefies. Stir in the lukewarm milk and then add the egg yolk and melted butter.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and start kneading it until it pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Give the dough the shape of a ball. Sprinkle oil onto a clean bowl, place the dough and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 1 hour at room temperature until doubled in size.
3. While the dough rises, whisk together the butter with sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. On a floured surface, using a rolling pin roll the dough to a rectangle of about 45x30 cm. 
6. Keep about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon filling for the end and spoon the rest over top, spreading evenly. Leave a clean 1.5 cm border around the edges. 
7. Sprinkle the almonds over the cinnamon filling.
8. Roll up the dough and using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise leaving one edge uncut for about 1,5 cm.
9. Start braiding the two pieces, trying to keep the open layers exposed so the cut ends remain on top. Pinch the ends together and form a wreath.
10. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the wreath with the left cinnamon filling.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. For the last 10 minutes you can reduce the oven temperature to 180 C.