as good as gold!

this week's recipe is something i've been making since i was a kid.  i have heard it's similar to "monkey bread".  maybe this is where my love of baking began!  it is actually a family recipe that's been handed down a few generations, and i am the one who still makes it for every holiday breakfast for my parents, my siblings & their families...  well, when i still lived close enough to share it with them.  now it is all mine when i make it, hee hee hee. 

this bread is so coveted in my family i could probably use it as currency if need be.  i actually had to parse out loaves and tag them at holidays just to make sure everyone got equal amounts.  i have even had requests to make it for people as their birthday gift.  my brother came to visit me in may, and i baked some the first night he was here.  he ate half a loaf within minutes of it emerging from the oven.  need more convincing to try making it yourself?  just check out the photo below.

p.s. for best results, use the actual brand ingredients i use (something i still have to convince my mother to do, lol)

tear off a piece/TOAP (cinnamon-sugar bread)

for the bread:
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet cream salted butter, melted (i use land o'lakes)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
5-1/2 cups bread flour (i use gold medal better for bread)

for the yeast:
2 packages dry yeast (i use fleischmann's rapidrise)
1/2 cup lukewarm water (between 105 - 115 degrees F)
2 tsp granulated sugar

for finishing the bread after rising:
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet cream salted butter
3 cups granulated sugar
3 tbs ground cinnamon

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. make the yeast by mixing together the water, yeast and sugar in a 2 cup measuring cup.  set aside.
3. scald the milk by putting it in the microwave on high for 3 minutes.  it should start to form a skin on top.
4. in a large bowl, combine the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, and 3 cups of flour.  mix well.  once the yeast has risen above 1 cup, add it to the bowl along with the remaining 2-1/2 cups of flour.  knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.  cover with a towel and set aside.  allow to rise for about 2 hours.  punch down with a fork.  recover and let rise another hour.
5. melt the second stick of butter in a bowl or small pot.  in a bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.  i usually use a glass bowl and a fork to do this so i can see it has truly been mixed well.
6. divide the bread dough in half.  knead one of the halves for about a minute or two.  shape into a french loaf.  cut into 10 equal pieces.  dip each piece in butter, then roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  place side by side in a bread pan as seen in the picture above (i use airbake pans, and i find that they by far work the best).  do the same with the other half in another bread pan.  bake for 28 minutes.

makes 20 pieces.  enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

download a printable copy of this recipe at...
http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/recipes/tearoffapiece.pdf