Mile-High Cinnamon Bread

Directions

1. 1
   ["In a liquid measuring cup, stir 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast, stir together, and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, until foamy.", "Meanwhile, heat the milk and the butter to 90 to 100\u00b0 F, either in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave. The butter doesn't need to melt completely.", "Place the flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in the food processor. Pulse to mix. With the motor running, add the yeast mixture, then the milk-butter mixture, and finally, the egg, through the feed tube. (Maida recommends adding the milk mixture into the cup with the yeast so that you get every bit of yeast into the dough.).", "Process the mixture until it forms a ball, and then continue to process for another 30 seconds. If the dough is too stiff, add a few drops of water. If the machine slows down, remove about half and then process the two halves separately and knead them together in the next step.", "On a board or work surface, knead the dough for about 1 minute. Then place it in a buttered bowl, turning the dough to butter all sides of the ball. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for about 1 1/2 hours: It should be well-risen and doubled in bulk.", "Then, lightly flour a board or work surface, keeping in mind that you'll need a lot of room. Turn the dough onto the floured area and press down to deflate it. Fold in the two opposite sides to meet in the middle, then fold in the remaining two sides to meet, so that you've formed the dough into a square. Press down to flatten it slightly, then cover loosely and let stand for 10 minutes.", "Meanwhile, butter a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan, preferably one with a dark finish. Set it aside and prepare the vanilla water and cinnamon sugar, below. (You can also make two more reasonable-sized loaves by using two 9-by-5 pans. You'll follow the same instructions as below, halving all of the dimensional measurements.).", "To make the vanilla water, mix the water and vanilla together in a small cup. To make the cinnamon sugar, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon, cocoa, and nutmeg.", "With a floured rolling pin, rolling the dough to form a rectangle that's 12 by 22 inches. Make the corners as square as possible. If you're having trouble with the dough shrinking back, pause briefly before trying again.", "Use a big pastry brush to brush about 2/3 of the vanilla water all over the dough. Maida says to be careful not to miss any spots-\"this is important.\"" You can use a couple teaspoons of additional water if necessary.""