Cinnamon Swirl Eggless "Brioche"

This month Gayathri of Gayathri's Cook Spot challenged the members of the Eggless Baking group to make an eggless version of Barbara's Cinnamon Swirl Brioche.

My first reaction after reading her mail was, "What ? Brioche without eggs ? Really ? "

Initially I had decided to skip this challenge... but the pretty cinnamon swirl and the simplicity of the recipe kept bringing me back to it until I finally decided to give the eggless version try.

I usually use the combination of yogurt and baking soda to make an eggless version of an eggy bread. However the mere substitution felt a little inadequate for an eggless version of brioche. After all it was brioche.. and no ordinary bread. How could a simple substitution render the bread its richness and textural lightness. I discussed with my mother and she suggested an extra helping of yeast. Okay. I said and pondered a little more... until I remembered Reeni's review about the scalded flour method. She had used the method for making a Scandinavian White Bread and had compared its texture to a brioche... I decided to modify the method to adapt the given recipe..

The adaptation however did not seem direct...

You see, the scalded flour method(SFM) requires one to make a starter of scalded dough which is cooled and then kneaded together with the remaining dough ingredients to make the dough for the bread. This meant, involing the SFM would add an extra step to the suggested recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, thereby depriving it off its ease and simplicity, the two things that had attracted me towards this bread at the first place. I thought for a while and then decided to try a simple modificaion. Instead of making a scalded dough starter, I decided to beat the yogurt with boiling hot water, then quickly stir in the remaining ingredients including the flour to the hot yogurt.  I am not sure if that little step helped, or if it was just the right proportion of liquid to flour, but things suddenly fell into place and  soon I recognized the dough as brioche-like... soft, flow-y and unmanageable. Thereon I followed the given recipe and was duly rewarded with a lovely loaf the following day.

To be honest, the loaf wasn't as soft as a brioche from the store but the texture was comparable. It was somewhat like my Hokkaido Milk Bread.. only richer with all the extra butter. We were really happy with it and relished it with our morning and evening tea everyday till it got over...

Cinnamon Swirl "Eggless Brioche"

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Recipe adapted from Barbara Bakes

Cook time: 45 minutes                                                           Total time: overnight refrigeration required
Yield: 9 × 5 inch loaf

Ingredients

• ½ cup Yogurt
• ¼ cup hot water
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsps honey
• 2 ½ tsp instant yeast
•  ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 cups + 2 tbsps  plus  ½ cup all purpose flour

For the filling

• ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• big pinch of salt

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk the yogurt and hot water in a big lidded container and keep aside while you get the other ingredients. (I used a container with 14 cups capacity.)
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the flour into the yogurt solution.
3. Finally using a spoon incorporate 2 cups +2 tbsps of the flour into the mixture. 
4. Cover the container and let it rest at room temperature until it doubles and then collapses, about 2 to 2 hour 15 minutes.
5. Refrigerate container for 6 hours.
6. Now knead in the remaining ½ cup of flour, cover the container and refrigerate overnight or atleast 8-9 hours.
7. When ready to bake, mix the confectioner's sugar, ground cinnamon and salt, over a lightly floured surface, roll outer the the refrigerated dough into a 8 × 15 inch rectangle.
8. Brush water or melted butter over the rolled out surface.
9. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over it , press it lightly with a parchment paper.
10. Starting on the shorter side, roll the dough into a cylinder, seal the seam.
11. Refrigerator the rolled cylinder for an hour.
12. Take the log out and place over a floured surface. Now using a sharp knife, cut the cylinder lengthwise into two halves. Turn the halves so that the cut sides are facing up. Pinch the two ends of the dough together and entwine the two halves, with the cut sides facing up, until the two pieces are tightly twisted. The pinch the other end.
13. Now place the dough log in well greased  9 × 5 inch loaf pan, cover loosely with a plastic sheet or a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1½ hours.
14. Meanwhile center the rack and preheat oven to 375 ° F.
15. Once the dough doubles, reduce the heat to 350 &deg F and bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden crust. Then reduce the heat further to 325° F, tent the loaf with a foil and bake for another 20-22 minutes until the bread comes off from the walls of the loaf pan.
16. Cool the loaf in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out and cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing it.

Thanks Gayathri for suggesting the recipe and introducing me to the methods ofArtisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking.

I am yeastspotting this loaf. Also sharing it at these parties...

Monday 
 Mix it up Monday, The Scoop, Made with love Monday,
Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Recipe Sharing @ Jam Hands
Melt in your Mouth Monday, Inspiration Monday Party
Inspire Me Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop,
Meatless Monday :  Meatless Monday My Sweet and Savory

Tuesday 
Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box,
 Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations, Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home ,  Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings
Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles,  Tasty Tuesday @ Anyonita Nibbles,
Hearth and Soul blog Hop @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen,
In & Out of the Kitchen @ Feeding Big & More, Tuesday's Table @ Love in the Kitchen, 

Wednesday 
What's Cooking Wednesday @ Buns in my Oven,
Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain,
Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom,
Wine'd Down Wednesday,
Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ All She Cooks
Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Mom's Test Kitchen
Wednesday, Whatsit@White Lights on Wednesday,
Wednesday Extravaganza @ Hunger Little Girl, 
Create & Share @ The Trendy Tree House,
What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar & Dots Look, 
What I Made @ Creations by Kara

Thursday
Link it Up Thursday @ Seven Alive, Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs, 
Thriving on Thursdays @ Domesblissity,  Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage , 
 Freedom Friday @ My Turn,  Pin it Thursday @ Sweet Bella Roos

Friday 
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating,  Friday Linky Party @ The Pin Junkie, 
Get Him Feed @ Anyonita Nibbles,  Friday Favorite (DYI too) @ Simple Sweet Home,
Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes,  Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm,
Weekend Wonders @ The Thriftiness Miss, Friday Food Frenzy @ Mostly Food and Crafts,
Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club, The Weekend re-Treat @The Best Blog Recipes