Today I was planning to make Vermont Sourdough with Whole Wheat as part of a return to good healthy eating, but it was not to be.    I had added the starter to the dough and mixed it up, when my nose was assaulted by something NOT RIGHT.   In the past I've ignored these warnings figuring that whatever was not right would disappear in the baking.   But I've learned.   So out with the old dough, in with the new.   I mixed up another liquid starter, but I really wanted bread today, so after 3 hours, I decided to improvise.   Instead of nice, lean Vermont Sourdough,   I started the year with something sweet:   Cinnamon Swirl. 

The last time I made something like this, both my husband and son informed me that I'd skimped unduly on the cinnamon, sugar, and butter.    So this time I didn't.    To say the least.   I threw in the unfinished starter, and then some yeast for good measure.   It rose like gangbusters.   Here is what I came up with. 

Take firm starter and build as above.    Leave at warm room temperature.    Scald milk in microwave for 1.5 minutes.   Add butter to it and let cool.    After starter has ripened for three hours, mix all ingredients.   Let double (this took 45 minutes.)   Press out into a long flat rectangle with short side in front.   Brush with melted butter.   Sprinkle very thickly with cinnamon sugar.   I used two sticks of cinnamon that I ground in a coffee grinder mixed with around 3/4 cups of sugar.   Roll up without pressing in the sides while shaping.   Place in bread pan with seam down.   Brush top with remaining melted butter and cinnamon sugar.  Let rise to over top of pan (this took around 45 minutes.)   Bake at 370 with no steam for 45 minutes.    Then remove from pan and bake for 15 more minutes.  Then enjoy and follow through on resolutions tomorrow. 

I have had numerous requests for my Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe. Here it is, but it is in volume measurements. If someone wants to convert it to grams, be my guest. I'm not good at conversions and this is an old recipe, before everyone was interested in using weights.

Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2 cups active, bubbly starter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes

3 1/2 cups flour (half AP, half bread flour)

Mix and knead the dough. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Bulk ferment until about 1 1/2 times the original size. This makes a very soft dough. Roll out dough on floured or Pam sprayed surface into a rectangle about 9 x 18 inches. Spread with soft butter, sprinkle with sugar, and very generously with cinnamon, leaving 1/2" on one of the 9" ends clean for sealing. Roll up as for cinnamon rolls. Try to keep the roll snug as you roll. Place in greased loaf pan. Spray oil top of loaf and cover with plastic. Proof until almost double in size. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

I don't frost my loaf because I like to toast my bread and it just melts in the toaster. As an alternative to frosting, I have brushed on an egg white wash and then sprinkled with coarse raw sugar just before baking.