Yeast Doughs: Cherry Almond Bread

There is a bakery in the San Diego area that sells the tastiest breakfast breads ever! They're filled with yummy goodness like lots of cinnamon sugar doused with butter, nuts and fruits.. and the dressing on top just drips with a sticky rich sugary glaze that is definitely finger licking good. But getting to San Diego on a weekly basis is pretty much out of the question for me with a busy family and schedule to keep so I knew I had to do the next best thing and replicate these breads in my own kitchen.

Success!! It really just came down to finding the right sweet yeast dough recipe and making the recipe my own from then on out with fillings, extracts and the jar of "love spice" that my husband brought back from Iowa a few years back on a business trip. :) I don't glaze them as much as the bakery does.. though my kids wish I would, but I make extra sugar glaze and have it in a separate dipping bowl for their desired taste.

Here I have pictured a cherry almond filled bread that was made by taking large chunks of the sweet dough and layering them with cinnamon sugar, almonds and cherry filling from a can. I really like buying the canned fruit filling because it's quick and there are some pretty good quality products out there.. plus they are available year round. But you could definitely make your own thickened fruit filling.. I have done a homemade apple filling that was very delicious, it just took longer.

For the sugar glaze I have my own little secret.. I add a few tablespoons of cream cheese to cut back on the sweetness but yet give it the yummy rich flavor we can't get enough of. If you need exact ingredient quantities for the cinnamon sugar and the glaze I'd be happy to help you with that.. just email me and I'll get it out to you as soon as possible.

Dough for Sweet Rolls and Breads

Dough Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Dough Preparation
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120�F to 130�F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375?.
Use either a loaf pan, or a ring pan. Grease lightly. Tear large chunks of dough and start layering them in the pan interchanging with cinnamon sugar, nuts of your choice and fruit filling. After pan is filled 3/4 of the way up, let rise covered in a draft free location for an additional 30 to 40 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes depending on your ovens heat. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't over brown. Take out and let rest. When it is cool enough to work with but still warm, drizzle your sugar glaze over the top.
Enjoy for breakfast or brunch!
Buon Appetitio..
Laurie