Estonian Kringle-Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Bread

Estonian Kringle is a sweet, buttery braided loaf filled with cinnamon, sugar and sometimes nuts. Super soft on the inside with a lovely crunchy top, this beautiful yeast bread is perfect for a weekend bake or the holidays.

I know I mentioned in my hot cross buns post that there were so many Easter breads (like these Hot Cross Buns) I wanted to try.

I don’t think I’ll actually accomplish making a bread from every country. I will just start with a couple.

First off will be Estonia and their  kringle. I found in a recent Donna Hay magazine the same ring bread but filled with raspberries. I’d love to do that version when the berries are in season. For now, we stuck with this gorgeous cinnamon sugar version. I recently read that in Estonia it is a custom to bake one for your birthday!

Originally published on March 11, 2013 and updated on December 19, 2020. This is a special yeast bread that I have been thinking a lot about recently. It’s a perfect bread for Christmas morning.

I had come across it on Pinterest some time back and vowed to make it soon. Soon turned into months and now here it is finally! Better later than never.;)

I have to just tell you how lovely this bread is.

So, so lovely!

I never really knew what a kringle was before. I found a little info on Danish kringles here. I wasn’t successful in finding any info on the history of this Estonian bread. IF you know any thing about, please share it below in the comment section.

I’m not certain if it is a traditional Easter bread from Estonia, but will definitely add this to my Easter baking list.

some notes on this bread: I first saw the recipe for a Cinnamon Spelt Ring King a while back on my friend Angie’s blog. She did a gorgeous spelt version. I then soon later found the recipe I used here on this beautiful blog: Just Love Cookin. I followed her ingredients for the dough and changed the filling and method a little. I added a little more butter and cinnamon sugar to fill and add on top right before baking.  Another gorgeous kringle: Chocolate Oblivion’s Kringle Bread (be sure to check out her savory version!)

How do you slice an Estonian Kringle bread?

It requires a very sharp knife! It seems complicated to cut and form the shape but it really is not. When you slice the dough in half, take care to make a clean cut. Then you have to carefully twist the open layers around each other. Don’t worry that while you twist around some filling may come out.

You have a little extra butter to add on top and more cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on. It’s sort of like an inside out cinnamon roll.

And now that I am looking again at these photos and remembering the smell while it baked and the delicious taste when it was ready, I’m inspired to go make another one! It was that good. Some other ways to make this kringle: chocolate chips, sugar, butter, cinnamon, dried fruits (raisins!). I did read that the dough is made with saffron and raisins ….so very similar to these St. Lucy Saffron Buns.

What ingredients are in an Estonian Kringle-Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Bread

For the dough

•  flour
•  salt
• milk
• active dry yeast
• butter, melted
• egg yolk
• sugar

For the filling

•  butter
•  sugar
• cinnamon

In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm milk and yeast. Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the egg. Add the rest of the flour, butter and salt.

Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the machine to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don’t want to burn it out. Add extra flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.

Take dough out of mixer bowl and knead a minute or two with a little bit of flour on a clean counter form dough into a ball. Coat a bowl with a light film of canola oil.

Place the dough into the oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil).
Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm.

Spread the melted butter across all of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise.

Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed. Form into a ring shape and carefully transfer to a parchment lined baking tray.

Top the remaining butter and sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon mixture. Cover the dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a clean tea towel, and let it proof for about 50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking!:)
xo
Lora

Some other yeast dough recipes to try:

• Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread
• No-Knead Olive Bread
• Strawberry Monkey Bread

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Estonian Kringle

Estonian Kringle is a sweet, buttery braided loaf filled with cinnamon, sugar and sometimes nuts. Super soft on the inside and a lovely crunchy top, this beautiful yeast bread is perfect for a weekend bake or the holidays.

Prep Time2 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Estonia

Keyword: Bread, yeast

Servings: 1 large wreath

Author: Lora

Ingredients

• Dough
• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup lukewarm milk
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 3 tbsp butter melted
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Filling
• ¼-½ cup melted butter
• 6-8 tbsps sugar
• 4-5 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm milk and yeast. Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the egg. Add the rest of the flour, butter and salt.
• Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the machine to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don’t want to burn it out. Add extra flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
• Take dough out of mixer bowl and knead a minute or two with a little bit of flour on a clean counter form dough into a ball. Coat a bowl with a light film of canola oil.
• Place the dough into the oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil).
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm.
• Spread the melted butter across all of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
• Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise.
• Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed. Form into a ring shape and carefully transfer to a parchment lined baking tray.
• Top the remaining butter and sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon mixture. Cover the dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a clean tea towel, and let it proof for about 50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

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