BBB – Sukerbolle

A bread filled with sugar cubes? How could I resist?

When I saw the latest adventures of the Bread Baking Babes, I knew I had to roll up my sleeves and try the bread of the month. I had worked hard to understand baking with yeast in the humid climate of Lima, Peru. Since I currently find myself in the states I had to take into account different humidity, different yeast, different flour and so on. But I was certainly up for the challenge.

When I mentioned the ginger syrup in the bread to the family I am staying with, I admit I was met with some quizzical stares. Ginger? I bought the ginger root and planned to make the syrup as shown by Lynn. But I had a brilliant idea between the buying and the making and hoping everyone wouldn’t be hating…maple syrup! I thought it would combine nicely with the cinnamon and be a more subtle flavor for those here who don’t appreciate ginger. So I adapted.

The dough seemed to take a million years to rise in this weather – and because I left it on the stainless steel counters. Oh, and I used less yeast than called for. But once it did, I rolled it into a rectangle, sprinkled it with cinnamon and studded it with slightly crushed sugar cubes. I rolled it up and placed it into the loaf pan, allowing another long rise while I made and baked another cake.

I thought the bread looked deliciously perfect when I took it out of the oven, but truly had no idea what to expect when I cut into it. After it cooled (briefly, and ever so slightly) I sliced into it. To my surprise, cinnamon sugar goo began to ooze out. I was honestly delighted to see the dark swirl in the bread and to think that all of the sugar cubes had melted into utter deliciousness! Several of us enjoyed a slice that very night and again in the morning. Once it had cooled completely, some of the sugar cubes had hardened and the bread slices included large sugar chunks. What fun!

Oh, and my friends did note something wrong with my bread after all…I only made ONE loaf!

Sukerbolle

3 1/2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of active dried yeast
1/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
Lukewarm milk
150 grams of sugar chunks
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (more or less to taste)

1. In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt and yeast.

2. Combine the maple syrup and add enough milk to bring it to 200 ml (about 7/8 cup). Add this along with the melted butter and eggs to the flour. Stir together until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth. The dough will be quite soft, but should not be sticky. Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise till doubled.

4. Turn the dough out onto the work surface, sprinkle the sugar chunks and cinnamon on it and work it through. Alternately, you can roll the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar and roll up the dough like a cinnamon bread loaf.

5. Roll the dough into a loaf shape and place in a well-greased bread pan. Sprinkle a little sugar on top. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes while your oven preheats to 350F.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown and done. Turn out of loaf pan to cool.

Sukerbolle is being served up as the Bread Baking Buddies challenge of the month. This months challenge was hosted by Monique of Living on Bread and Water, October’s kitchen of the month.