Cinnamon Bread Recipe

Topping:

1 stick butter, very softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Add 1 1/4 cups water and stir with rubber spatula. This dough will seem drier than the other no-knead recipes, but we’re adding less water here so the dough will end up being workable with your hands.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 12 to 18 hours.   

After 12 to 18 hours, turn out dough onto floured board. Lightly flour top and cover with tea towel. Let dough rise for another 1 to 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before second rise is complete, place 4-quart oval cast-iron pot (without lid) on rack positioned in lower third of oven. Heat oven to 450°F.

Just before oven comes to temperature, uncover dough; using rolling pin, roll out to about 3/8-inch thickness. Place softened butter in bowl and mash it up so that it’s extremely easy to spread. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and mix together.

Using large rubber spatula spread butter evenly over dough, then sprinkle most of brown sugar topping (reserving 2 tablespoons) over dough, leaving 1-inch border all the way around.

Flour hands, and begin to roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, tucking ends as you go. Keep flouring all surfaces and your hands lightly as you go to keep it from sticking. Fold ends under until you have a roll that will fit nicely into your pot. 

Once oven has reached 450°, remove pot using heavy-duty potholders.

Using your hands or dough scrapers, carefully transfer roll to hot pot. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon-sugar on top. Cover pot and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove cover from pot and continue baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until loaf is browned, but not burned. Butter and sugar will be pooled at bottom of pan and will caramelize bottom of loaf. 

Remove pot from the oven. Using sturdy tongs, lift loaf out of pot and transfer to cooling rack positioned on top of large baking sheet (butter will be dripping from it). Allow bread to cool for 1 hour before slicing.