Brioche Cinnamon Knots

Brioche Cinnamon Knots

This recipe brings together two classics, gorgeous buttery French Brioche sweet bread and a perennial favorite, cinnamon buns. The two go perfectly together and the preparation of the knots is simpler and easier than rolling out dough and cutting cinnamon pinwheels. Just roll the dough balls out into individual rope shapes using your hands, toss them in cinnamon sugar and tie in a simple knot before letting them rise and baking them off.

These bake to a dark golden brown because of the sugar on the surface of the dough and the color contrasts well with the white vanilla glaze, making them look even more tempting. Bake some for your next weekend brunch.

This recipe makes 12 large cinnamon knot rolls.

• 4 cups flour
• 1 envelope of instant yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup real butter, slightly softened and near room temperature (NO SUBSTITUTES) Cut butter in about a dozen small pieces
• 1/2 cup whole milk (or for even richer brioche substitute undiluted evaporated milk)
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a stand mixer add the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract and mix together just until the flour is incorporated, the dough will be quite tough and lumpy at this point, this is normal. Using the dough hook attachment for your mixer begin adding the pieces of butter as the dough turns in the bowl. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated into the dough. Continue until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Do not add additional flour. Cover and let rest and rise until double in volume. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured breadboard and knead for about 5 minutes before forming the dough into 12 individual balls.Let the dough balls rest for a few minutes before hand rolling each one into about a 8-10 inch rope shape.

Mix together:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Roll the dough ropes in the cinnamon sugar and tie each one in a single knot. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and place 6 knots on each sheet. Allow the dough knots to rise for at least an hour or until they more than double in size.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes until golden brow, cool on a wire rack. When cooled down for 10-15 minutes you can drizzle them with vanilla glaze if you like.

Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar ( powdered sugar)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tbsp milk

Whisk all three ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the cinnamon rolls. Add only a tbsp or so of milk at first and then just stir in a few drops at a time until the proper consistently is achieved; you won't want this glaze to be too thin.

Brioche Cinnamon Knots

This recipe brings together two classics, gorgeous buttery French Brioche sweet bread and a perennial favorite, cinnamon buns. The two go perfectly together and the preparation of the knots is simpler and easier than rolling out dough and cutting cinnamon pinwheels. Just roll the dough balls out into individual rope shapes using your hands, toss them in cinnamon sugar and tie in a simple knot before letting them rise and baking them off.

These bake to a dark golden brown because of the sugar on the surface of the dough and the color contrasts well with the white vanilla glaze, making them look even more tempting. Bake some for your next weekend brunch.

This recipe makes 12 large cinnamon knot rolls.

• 4 cups flour
• 1 envelope of instant yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup real butter, slightly softened and near room temperature (NO SUBSTITUTES) Cut butter in about a dozen small pieces
• 1/2 cup whole milk (or for even richer brioche substitute undiluted evaporated milk)
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a stand mixer add the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract and mix together just until the flour is incorporated, the dough will be quite tough and lumpy at this point, this is normal. Using the dough hook attachment for your mixer begin adding the pieces of butter as the dough turns in the bowl. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated into the dough. Continue until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Do not add additional flour. Cover and let rest and rise until double in volume. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured breadboard and knead for about 5 minutes before forming the dough into 12 individual balls.Let the dough balls rest for a few minutes before hand rolling each one into about a 8-10 inch rope shape.

Mix together:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Roll the dough ropes in the cinnamon sugar and tie each one in a single knot. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and place 6 knots on each sheet. Allow the dough knots to rise for at least an hour or until they more than double in size.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes until golden brow, cool on a wire rack. When cooled down for 10-15 minutes you can drizzle them with vanilla glaze if you like.

Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar ( powdered sugar)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tbsp milk

Whisk all three ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the cinnamon rolls. Add only a tbsp or so of milk at first and then just stir in a few drops at a time until the proper consistently is achieved; you won't want this glaze to be too thin.