What's Baking: Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I'm pretty sure I've said this before -- but it's still true: yeast breads intimidate me. All that kneading, all that rising ... wondering if the yeast is too old or if the milk is too hot. There's just so much that could go wrong with a yeast bread -- which is why I tend to stick with stir-everything-together-in-a-bowl, yeast-free quick breads.

However, a week or so ago Joy from Joy the Baker posted a baking bootcamp challenge. The first challenge featured a lovely triple berry cinnamon swirl bread. And, oh, man, did it look spectacular!

With my parents in town, and in need of some food to share, I knew that now would be just the right time to face my fear of yeast breads and try my hand at baking this triple berry cinnamon swirl bread. I won't lie, there were a couple times when I wondered if my bread would turn out. I might have done a little jig when my yeast-and-milk mixture turned into a bubbling froth, as the recipe indicated. And I might have jumped for joy when the bread rose to double its size.

The resulting bread was absolutely amazing. It really does taste as great as it looks. A yeast bread is definitely a longer undertaking than a quick bread, but the hour or so of work is so worth the effort in the end. This bread would look fantastic on a breakfast table, but works just as well served with ice cream as a dessert (or as a mid-afternoon snack, which is how we enjoyed it).

Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes 1 loaf (about 6-8 servings)

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup 1% lowfat milk, warmed to a warm lukewarm
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
olive oil to grease the bowl

For the filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups fresh berries (I used 1 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, and 1/2 cup blueberries)

1 whole egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

Note: Joy provides fantastic step-by-step instructions with photos here. 
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and sugar. Stir in the lukewarm milk. Then stir in the egg yolk and melted butter. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, or until frothy in appearance.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sea salt. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the dough just begins to come together.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured service and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and feels just slightly damp.
4. Place the dough in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.
5. While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon swirl filling. In a small bowl, use a spoon to cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
7. Place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead once or twice. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle(ish) shape about 12x18 inches in size. Use an offset spatula to spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of the dough.
8. Spread the berries on top of the cinnamon layer, applying slight pressure to set them into the dough.
9. Carefully roll the dough (lengthwise) into a log. Place the dough log seam-side down. Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving 1-inch attached at the top of the log. Flip each strand so that they are both berry-side up. Carefully braid the strands, lifting the left strand over the right, until the entire length is braided together. Press the end of the braid together to seal.
10. Join the two ends of the braid together to form a wreath, pressing the ends together to seal. Use both hands to carefully place the bread into the prepped skillet. Brush the egg wash over the exposed portions of the dough.
11. Bake in the oven until golden brown and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

(lightly adapted from this Joy the Baker recipe)