This is a unique cinnamon bread because it has dried strawberries inside! Soft and delicious, it can be frozen and makes amazing toast.
A cinnamon bread dough with oats and whole wheat flour that is filled with strawberry bits, and baked until golden brown. Sweet, soft, and very delicious!
Dried strawberries
I have been taking advantage of fresh berries the whole summer with berry pancakes, a dark chocolate raspberry tart, a chocolate ice cream with cherry sauce. I stocked my freezer with them to get me through the colder months.
So today, I decided to try an ingredient I was curious about, dried strawberries.
I'm usually very suspicious about dried and candied fruit that I don't make at home. But drying strawberries is not on my horizon.
They are sweet and nice to chew on, like a little soft candy. I even took a picture where all the seeds can be seen, fossil style. At least I'm confident they are real strawberries that have been dried out.
And what better companion than cinnamon? A swirl of cinnamon and strawberries to brighten up the morning toast. Perfect.
The strawberry flavor comes across subtly. Imagine you have a piece of cinnamon bread, slather it with strawberry jam, but then decide you want it plain, so you scrape it off.
This bread is made to be toasted. And with a knob of butter melting on top, it becomes a splendid breakfast.
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Strawberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, superfine or very finely milled
- ½ cup instant oats
- 4 cups bread flour, more or less
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the cinnamon filling:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup dried strawberries
Instructions
For the bread:
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of water with 1 tablespoon dry yeast. Let stand a few minutes until foamy.
- Mix 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup instant oats, 1 cup of the bread flour, and 1 tablespoon salt in a stand mixer or a large bowl if made by hand.
- Make a well in the center, add 2 tablespoons honey, remaining water, and yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden or silicone spoon or spatula until very well combined.
- With the dough hook, start mixing the dough at medium speed, adding the rest of the bread flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Knead for 6 or 7 minutes, adding extra tablespoons of bread flour if needed. The dough needs to remain somewhat sticky but not wet; it will never be a tight ball.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle, with a rolling pin, or stretch it with your hands. Flour the surface as needed, but as little as possible.
- Brush the cinnamon filling over the entire surface of the dough. Scatter 1 cup dried strawberries on top of the dough.
- Roll as if you were making cinnamon rolls, then cut them into two equal pieces.
- Place each piece in an oiled loaf pan, cover with plastic and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Bake bread for 25 minutes, lower the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC and keep on baking for 10 to 15 more minutes until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
- It can be kept for a month in the freezer, well wrapped.
For the cinnamon filling:
- Mix 3 tablespoons butter, melted, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
Notes
Adapted from How to Bake, by Nick Malgieri
Shulie Foodwanderings says
OMGoodness Paula such a perfect toast bread. What a concept to bake with dried strawberries, I would have never thought of that & true someone commented above good for those who do not like raisin cinnamon bread. BTW that last shot on the right, OMG. Love raw snapshots.:)
Angie Schneider says
I love the strawberry filling! The bread looks fantastic, Paula.
Medeja says
Dried strawberries alone I find too sweet 🙂 But like this, in bread, I am sure they were perfect ingredient.
Lisa says
Paula...adding dried strawberries to cinnamon swirl bread is genius and t's killing me because I want about 4 of those toasted, buttered slices in the second to last photo - now. I hope you had a Happy Easter and enjoy your vacay until Wednesday!
Bam's Kitchen says
This looks so delicious! Love to see the swirls in your bread. I bought some dried strawberries at the Hong kong food expo this summer and it says it organic, GMO, no additives but after I eat them I get a migraine. Need I say more.. Do you have a food dehydrator? I think this is the way to go.
Karen Kerr says
Paula, that looks so yummo. I've been suspicious of dried strawberries too. Now I'll have to give them a go. And you had me at "a knob of butter."
yummychunklet says
Delicious looking bread! Great idea using dried strawberries!
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
I bought a couple of dried strawberries to nibble on to calm my sweet tooth but haven't baked anything with them. What a tempting loaf of bread you baked Paula
ahu says
This looks amazing. I LOVE dried strawberries but they are so hard to find! Sometimes I luck out at Trader Joe's.
nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Wow, Paula! I've never even heard of dried strawberries. This bread looks incredible - especially all toasted with that slather of butter. Drool.....
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
WOW! This is an incredible bread, Paula! I've never seen a bread baked with strawberries, I bet it's as delicious as it looks! Lovely!
Savory Simple says
I love love to get my hands on this! Strawberries make everything better.
Liz Berg says
Oh, yeah! Such a winner, Paula...and so much better than raisin cinnamon swirl! Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with tea. Happy fall to you!!!
Deb says
Adore this recipe Paula! I am fond of cooking with dried fruit as it is readily available when fresh is out of season and the concentrated flavor it adds to recipes. The Strawberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread is an enchanting idea for breakfast or snacking!
Renee says
We really were on the same wavelength with our breads this month. Would you believe I actually picked up a bag of dried strawberries in the store but but them down because I already had so much dried berries & fruit in my pantry. Now that I've used up my supply I have to get those strawberries and try your bread. Love cinnamon a lot too!
Dionne Baldwin says
Now this is a bread I cannot wait to try! This would be perfect for toast or even a dessert stuffed French toast. It's time for break here as well so all week I will be attempting to maintain order and bake some new recipes I discover.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Yummm! Lazy days with this bread with a knob of butter melting on top?! OMG, love this! By the way, do you make a lot of homemade strawberry (or any berry) preserves or jam? I think I totally need to start doing this.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
This bread is totally up my ally! I love cinnamon swirl bread and the addition of strawberries is amazing.
Cake Duchess says
Beautiful bread for our berry month, Paula. I never baked with dried strawberries. I think this would be a lovely idea to have for a weekend breakfast with lots of hot coffee;)
Stacy says
I love this, Paula! It's cinnamon bread for people who don't like raisins! We have a couple of those in my family. What a beautiful loaf!