No Knead Cinnamon Swirl Oat Bread and the Power of an Aroma

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baking from scratch, bread no mixer, breads & muffins, comfort food, food is love, housewife, mother of boys, no knead bread, nut-free baking, recipe

Soft sweet bread with the nutty chew of oats encircles a ribbon of cinnamon sugar for a delightfully indulgent loaf that requires absolutely no kneading.

The smell of fresh bread can be a powerful thing–it’s one of a few scents that has the ability to stop people in their tracks. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of daily life, those in proximity to that gloriously yeasty smell wafting through the air are bound to take a moment of pause to bask in the comforting aroma. Although I’ve often witnessed that power in action in my own home, never was the phenomena more pronounced that when I lived and worked across the boarder from the Canadian Club factory in Windsor, Ontario.

What on earth does the scent of fresh bread have to do with living near a whiskey factory? Allow me to explain. Most of the time being a few miles across the water from a whiskey factory meant that nearby neighbors would catch a whiff of that sour-mash, wrinkle their noses, and rush into the nearest shelter to escape it. That sour smell could bring you to your knees on a hot summer day! But for a few days each month, the smell drifting across the boarder was so similar to that of freshly baked bread that the same neighbors that couldn’t wait to escape the nefarious perfume a few days prior behaved quite to the contrary. After one whiff and rather than run away, they would instead halt, close their eyes, deeply inhale the doughy bouquet, and smile.

As for me, the aroma of fresh bread is deeply rooted in the depths of that same feeling of personal contentment.

No Knead Cinnamon Swirl Oat Bread invokes much the same feelings in me. Whether it’s the sweet, nutty flavor from the oats, or the comforting scent of cinnamon sugar is hard to pinpoint. All I know is that I physically incapable of smelling No Knead Cinnamon Swirl Bread baking in the oven without having a feeling of serenity wash over me.

Now that’s a powerful aroma! The fact that this bread comes together easily and requires absolutely no kneading makes baking fresh bread a reality for all. Simply stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, let the dough rise, divide it in half, roll it out, apply the filling, roll it up, and pop it into pans.

Another brief rise and the bread is ready for the oven, making the tranquil feelings brought forth by the risen loaf that much closer.

♥♥♥

No Knead Cinnamon Swirl Oat Bread

Inspired and Adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois

http://comfortablydomestic.com

Yield 2 Loaves

Soft sweet bread with the nutty chew of oats encircles a ribbon of cinnamon sugar for a delightfully indulgent loaf that requires absolutely no kneading.

 Prep Time: 20 minutes, Rise Time: 2 hours 10 minutes, Cook Time: 35 minutes, Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes.

For the Dough:

2 C. warm water (90-100 degrees F)

1 ½ C. 2% milk, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ Tbs. instant yeast

1 Tbs. kosher salt

¼ C. granulated sugar

3 ¼ C. Bread flour (plus ¼ to ½ C. more for dusting)

3 C. 100% White Whole Wheat flour (may substitute all-purpose flour)

¾ C. old fashioned oats

For the Filling:

2/3 C. brown sugar, packed

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1 egg

1 Tbs. water

Pour the water, milk and vanilla extract into a large bowl; sprinkle the yeast and salt over top. Stir the granulated sugar into the water mixture. Dump the flours into the bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon until a soft and sticky dough forms, with no dry patches of flour. Stir the old fashion oats into the dough until well incorporated.

Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm, draft free area until it doubles in bulk. (About 90 minutes.)

While waiting for the dough to rise, lightly spray two 9” x 11” x 4” loaf pans with baking spray. Prepare the filling components by whipping the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and then whisking the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle a little flour over a clean, flat work surface.

Once the dough has doubled in bulk, turn the dough onto the floured work surface, and divide it in half with a bench scraper or sharp knife. Form each half of the dough into a ball.

Next, use a rolling pin to roll one of the balls of dough into a 9” x 14” rectangle. Brush the rolled dough with the egg wash. Evenly spread half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch clear perimeter around the edges of the dough. Snugly roll the loaf lengthwise, jelly roll style, pinching the edges to seal. Place the roll, seam side down, into one of the prepared loaf pans, tucking the short ends under the loaf to fit. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, reserving any leftover egg wash.

Cover the loaves with a clean towel. Allow the dough to rise to the top of the loaf pans. (About 40 minutes.)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while the loaves rise again.

Once completing the second rise, lightly brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash. Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown in color. Remove from the oven. Let the loaves rest in their pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. The bread will smell incredibly tempting, but for the best finished texture, they should be allowed to cool completely before slicing.