Christmas morning brunch is one of my favorite meals of the year! This Cinnamon Roll Snowflake Twisted Bread needs to be on your table this Christmas. It’s so much easier than it looks and it’s more fun to make than cinnamon rolls.
December is one of my favorite months of the year. There’s the obvious like Christmas, snowfall while you still look forward to it, and driving around looking at Christmas lights. There’s also so much more that may be less obvious such as going full force with brunch’n, waking up in new PJs, and that feeling when your kids wake you up at 6am on Christmas Day to go check out their gifts from Santa. December gives me all the feels.
Some favorite moments so far include:
- Visit with Santa
- Reese’s Dance Recital
- Boys’ Christmas Program
- Seeing Frozen II
- Making Christmas Cookies
Moments I’m Still Looking Forward to:
- North Pole Express Ride in Kearney
- Christmas Eve Mass
- Seeing the kids’ excitement on Christmas morning
- Spending time with family over the holidays
- Making this Cinnamon Roll Twisted Snowflake Bread on Christmas morning!!
Okay, okay now I want to discuss what you are making for breakfast or brunch on Christmas morning. I get it. This snowflake bread looks a little intimidating but it is sooooo easy!
Let’s break it down…
- Step 1: Make the dough and let it rise for a solid hour and a half until it is about double in size. Punch the dough down and divide it into 4 equal portions shaping them into balls.
- Step 2: Roll first dough ball out into 10″ circle. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll the next dough ball out and place over the top of the first and repeat the egg wash and the cinnamon and sugar. Repeat steps again for the third dough circle and then leave the top of the 4th dough circle bare.
- Step 3: Place a small 2 1/2-3″ bowl upside down over the middle of the dough layers. Cut 16 equal portions. Think of the dough as a clock. Using a sharp knife, cut from the edge of the bowl to the edge of the dough at the 12 o’clock position, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. Then in each of the four sections, cut equal portions to make 8. Do this one more time to make 16 equal portions. Remove the bowl at the center. Take two portions (next to one another) of dough and twist away from each other two times and then pinch the edges together so they form a point. Do this all the way around. Let it rise for 45 min.
- Step 4: Brush with egg wash and bake for 30 min at 350℉. Make frosting and frost while hot.
I have always loved making cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning brunch but it seems I am going to switch things up a bit this year. Why? Because this cinnamon roll twisted snowflake bread is so much more fun to make and it’s just as delicious if not more. It pulls apart so easily and you can fight over who gets the extra gooey middle portion.
What will you be making for breakfast this Christmas? Can you even believe we are heading into 2020? Seems impossible.
Hope you love this recipe if you get the chance to make it. If you do, I would love it if you would rate it below and leave a comment.
Cinnamon Roll Twisted Snowflake Bread
Create a wonderful Christmas morning brunch with this Cinnamon Roll Snowflake Twisted Bread. It will be gone before you know it!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/4 cups warm water about 110℉
- 1-2 1/4 teaspoon packet active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting surface
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons canola oil + more for coating bowl
Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture + Egg Wash for Dough Circles
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 egg beaten
Egg Wash for Topping Bread Just Prior to Baking
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp milk
Frosting
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- dash salt
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Make Dough
- In a small batter bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let sit five minutes or until it becomes foamy. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, combine 3 ½ cups flour, salt, and cardamom and stir together on low speed. In a separate medium bowl, combine the whole egg, 3 egg yolks, honey, and oil with a whisk. Add the yeast mixture and stir.
- Add wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, scraping sides of bowl if necessary. Add additional cup of flour and mix on medium low speed that makes a sticky dough that forms around the paddle.
- Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed until dough becomes smooth but still sticky. Add additional flour if necessary up to ½ cup but you do want dough to be sticky. Mix with the dough hook for about 4 minutes. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead just a couple of times until forms a smooth ball.
Let Dough Rise
- Brush a large bowl with oil and place dough in it and turn over to coat all of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour and a half.
Punch Dough Down and Roll Out
- After dough has risen, punch it down and divide into four equal sections. Form each quarter of dough into a ball.
Stack Dough Layers and Make Snowflake
- Line an unrimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Place one ball onto floured surface and roll into about a 10 inch circle. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush egg evenly all over 10 inch dough circle leaving a one inch margin. Sprinkle 1/3 cinnamon/sugar mixture over egg wash again leaving the one inch margin around the edge.
- Roll out the second dough ball into another 10 inch circle and place on top of the first one with cinnamon/sugar on it. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle another third of the cinnamon/sugar on to the second circle of dough. Roll out the third ball of dough to form a 10 inch circle and place on top of the other dough and brush with egg wash and sprinkle the final third of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of it leaving a 1 inch margin around the edge. Finally, roll out the last ball of dough and place on top of the others. The top dough circle is to be left bare.
- Place a small glass bowl or cup (2 inches in diameter) in the center of the dough to mark the center. Starting at the top center of the dough (12 o'clock position), cut the dough from the point of the bowl to the outer edge of the dough with a sharp knife being careful not to cut underneath the glass bowl at the center. Then cut the dough directly underneath the top portion already cut from the bowl to the edge of the dough (6 o'clock position). Repeat this at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Cut through each quarter of dough like previously to form 8 equal sections. Cut through the middle of all 8 wedges again to form 16 equal sections.
- Take the glass bowl off the center of the dough. Take two sections of dough and twist each away from each other two times and then pinch the edges together so they form a pointed tip. Do this all the way around.
Let Rise
- Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap that is oiled with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil spray. Let dough rise for 45 minutes.
Bake
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350℉.
- Combine egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and beat together. Brush the top of dough with the egg wash. Reshape any of the points of the snowflake that have reshaped in order to make them come to a point again.
- Bake bread until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Frosting
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. Frost while hot.
