Chunky Monkey Cinnamon Bread

I’ve heard from friends how amazing Chunky Cinnamon Bread is.  LOTS of good bakeries have their version of a cinnamon bread loaf.  I thought it was my turn to come up with a ‘signature’ recipe of my own.  I don’t often get daring like this, but it worked and I’m pleased...  Now I’m hooked, and there’s no going back.  I’ve made cinnamon swirl bread for years using my own bread recipe and my family loves it.   

I kept hearing rumblings about this wonderful Chunky Cinnamon Bread at a local bakery/restaurant called Kneader’s.  Curiosity reeled me in I’m afraid.  It started with some undercover detective work.  I went through the drive-thru and ordered a loaf (their loaf is pictured above - unsliced, and below - sliced) , then took it home to analyze it.  Yup.  It was goooooood.  On to an internet search.

I found that ABC4 aired a program a few years back where they duplicated the french toast recipe using Kneader’s bread.  But I wanted the BREAD recipe - anyone can make french toast.  

I thought it should be a sweeter dough than your common bread dough.  I looked for a recipe without eggs, because that would make it taste too much like a cinnamon roll.   I found the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting.  It sounded promising, but I don’t like to scald milk and WAIT till it cools.  I’m busy and I’m not that patient.  So I decided to try the method I’ve always used in my good old standby bread recipe (HERE).  In this recipe, I substitute dry milk, combined it with all the dry ingredients (including the yeast), and add very hot tap water.  

Now I had to decide how to make the bread truly CHUNKY.  Another internet search, and again success.  The Village Restaurant & Bakery in Shaver Lake, CA has been baking their version of Chunky Bread for years, and although they don’t publish the recipe - I found their technique described (HERE).  So - I combined the method with my changed recipe and this is the result.  

You can’t help but love it.  I didn’t drizzle it with powdered sugar glaze - it would have been just too much sugar overkill.  See the Kneader’s Loaf (2nd & 3rd photos above) compared with mine (at the bottom) - and make your own comparison.  My daughter & husband thought mine was lighter and tasted homemade.  My son summed it up like this... “Mom.  You pretty much copied it.”

Check the next post for ways to use this chunky bread for breakfast...

My recipe for Chunky Monkey Cinnamon Bread (as well as all the how-to's) is found at:

www.changeabletable.com