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Estonian Kringle-Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Bread

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I know I mentioned in my hot cross buns post that there were so many Easter breads 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 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 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.;)
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I have to just tell you how lovely this bread is.

So, so lovely!
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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. If you bake an Easter or St. Patrick’s Day bread this month, be sure to link up to our fantastic #TwelveLoaves party! I’m not certain if it is a traditional Easter bread from Estonia, but will definitely add this to my Easter baking list.

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some notes on this bread: I first saw this recipe 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. 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. They 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

Estonian  Kringle-Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Bread

Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon sugar

Filling:
1/4-1/2 cup melted butter
6-8 Tablespoons sugar
4-5 tsp cinnamon

Method:
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.

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

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

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

check out some other wonderful ring cakes:
Food Wanderings’ Chocolate Yeast Cake 

Home Cooking Adventure’s Cinnamon Braid Bread

Angie’s Recipe’s Cinnamon Spelt Ring

Chocolate Oblivion’s Kringle Bread (be sure to check out her savory version!)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  9. Gina Stanley says

    March 12, 2013 at 4:40 am

    This looks gorgeous Lora. I've been wanting to bake a wreath bread for a while, this month, make that this year has gotten away from me. I hope baking has helped eased your mind and pain of losing your father if even in the slightest. The cinnamon, sugar mix sounds like a good call to me.
    -Gina-

    Reply

  11. SMITH BITES says

    March 12, 2013 at 11:31 am

    i love every. single. thing. about. this. Lora – just love it!!! THIS makes me wish i could eat regular bread – and that doesn't happen often – seriously a wowzer!! (((hugs)))

    Reply

  14. Anonymous says

    March 12, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    Hi Lora! This is not an Easter thing, we baking Estonians do it quite often and for any occasion. The origins – I have no clue either, it's been baked as long as there's been yeast I guess:) At least my granny taught me to do it some 25 years ago. I personally use a dough with this little sugar with savory stuffings and add, well, a lot more sugar into the cinnamon version. The way it's cut shows the inner beauty so perfectly and the cinnamon gets, like, e v e r y w h e r e. You did it so well! Greetings from snow-drowned Estonia:)

    Reply

  20. Lisa says

    March 13, 2013 at 8:58 am

    I just did something similar using challah dough, but I rolled it up in a springform pan. Your kringle looks incredible! I made one once, and everyone kept saying it tasted like a cinnabon! I'm definitely trying your recipe! xo

    Reply

  22. Erin D. says

    March 13, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    Oh my word. This is gorgeous! You did an amazing job with the twisting. The outside looks so cinnamon sugary crispy. Yum! I love learning about new types of bread. Awesome post. 🙂

    Reply

  24. Amy says

    March 13, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    This Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Bread is gorgeous. I love that you can see all the cinnamon sugar running through in every bite. Hm…the raspberry one you mentioned sounds yummy and gorgeous. I look forward for your post on that one too.

    Reply

  26. Paula says

    March 14, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    As beautiful as the baked kringle looks, I think my favourite picture is the last one where it is unbaked and ready to go in the oven. What a lovely looking dough and it certainly made a gorgeous looking bread.

    Reply

  28. Jennifer @ Delicieux says

    March 14, 2013 at 11:55 pm

    Your kringle looks fabulous, and such neat braids. I love the cinnamon sugar topping. I made the one from the Donna Hay magazine at Christmas, albiet with strawberry jam and chocolate chips. It was divine and such a great way to decorate the Christmas table.

    Reply

  29. Joan Hayes says

    March 15, 2013 at 3:22 am

    This is gorgeous! I tried to do a braided bred like this once, it was a disaster and I haven't tried again since. You've inspired me, can't wait to try your recipe!

    Reply

  36. Chris says

    March 31, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    It's not the traditional Easter Bread – I'm 1/2 Estonian, and the recipe we usually use is similar, but it has milk and cardamon in it as well as the lemon zest. No filling. For Easter, we sprinkle ground almonds and coarse sugar on top. You can also put raisins in it. My nana made it every day – it was a staple in her house. It's called mamu saia (mahmooSIGHyah) which literally translated, means raisin loaf LOL 🙂 Here is a link to when I had my blog with some pix and the recipe handed down from my nana, to my mom, to me 🙂 http://eventinacancook.blogspot.com/2011/04/memories-traditions-nostalgia.html (there is also a shout out to you LOL)

    Reply

  37. Deborah Brozina says

    December 18, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    Lora – I'm half Estonian and have used this recipe for my Kringles in the last 6 months or so. It's a consistent winner. And being half American, I have been playing with the fillings as well. (Nutella, cocoa and sugar, orange and cranberry, etc.) For the sweet breads, however, I do use about 3-5 TBSP of sugar and put it in with the yeast and milk at the beginning. I find proving that for about 15 minutes makes it rise a little better.

    And so that you know, this recipe was used for a bake sale for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and sold out so fast!

    Reply

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