Lesson learned: Always trust Joy the Baker.

When Joy posted a baking bootcamp challenge a few weeks ago, I was super excited to attempt the baking part, but also concerned that I wouldn’t like the result. You know I am a big weirdo with all sorts of strange food issues, and one of those issues is that I hate (with a burning passion) many sweet breads. I can’t stand danishes, sweet croissants, cake doughnuts or sweet rolls/buns that aren’t completely smothered in frosting; cronuts are basically my worst nightmare. I think it’s something about how dense the bread part is? Who knows.

 

I did know I wanted to try it, but I waited until my parents were here so I would have people to eat it if I didn’t like it.

Of course, my concerns were for nothing. The bread is not too dense, not too sweet, and is filled with the perfect amount of buttery cinnamon-sugar and ripe berries. It also looks pretty patriotic — it’d be perfect for breakfast on the Fourth of July.

  

Also, the braided effect makes it look super fancy and complicated, but it’s easy. I promise.

 

I did have to have my mom help me transfer the finished product to the skillet, though.

Doesn’t it look pretty?

Triple berry cinnamon swirl bread (Original recipe and photos here. I’d normally just send you there, but that version is missing spaces and is kind of hard to read, so I’ve spaced it out and added some notes here)
Dough: 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed lukewarm — somewhere between 110 and 115 degrees F
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Olive oil to grease the bowl

Filling: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, allowed to sit at room temperature for at least an hour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups mixed fresh berries (make sure you slice up the strawberries if you’re using them — I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash (I forgot this, but you should do it so your bread turns golden)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Before you start, make sure you have a clean countertop or other surface ready for kneading the dough.

Stir yeast and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and whisk to combine, then add the egg yolk and melted butter and whisk until well combined. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes — it should get foamy.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl, then pour the milk mixture into it and knead until the dough forms a ball and it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until the dough ball is smooth and not too sticky, and pops back after you press a finger into it. Grease a large bowl with olive oil, then put the dough into the greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for an hour or so, until it doubles in size. (My kitchen tends to be a bit cool, so I usually turn the oven on warm, then turn it off, let it cool a tiny bit and then put the bowl in the warm-ish oven)

While the dough is rising, whisk the butter, sugar and cinnamon together for the filling.

Once the dough has risen (or at least once you’ve taken the bowl out of the oven, if that’s where you’re keeping it), Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or cake pan, if you don’t have a skillet) and set aside.

When the dough is ready, put it on a lightly floured surface and knead two or three times. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 18 inches by 12 inches. Spread the cinnamon filling over the top (I used the back of my spoon and then my fingers), leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Spread the berries over the dough as evenly as possible. Roll the dough, starting on the long side and rolling toward you (it will be lumpy). Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise, but leave an inch at the end uncut.

Rotate the dough pieces so the cut parts face up and carefully life one over the other, continuing the braid until the end. Press the ends together to seal, then carefully form the braided dough into a circle, joining and sealing the two ends.

Quickly lift the dough and place it in the cast iron skillet, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Let the bread cool for 30 minutes before you slice and serve it.