Guilt-free indulgence

Healthy alternative to the classic sticky bun will make morning sweet

Seedless raisins were added atop the cinnamon sugar before the dough was rolled up.
Seedless raisins were added atop the cinnamon sugar before the dough was rolled up.

Valentine’s Day is barely over. A month and a half after the holidays, we have finished another round of indulging ourselves with too much rich or sugary food. As a result, I know many people are now trying to recommit to their New Year’s resolutions to eat more healthfully.

And yet, here comes one more of what sometimes seems to be an endless parade of temptations: The food industry has declared Feb. 21 as National Sticky Bun Day, as if we need any excuse to start our mornings with sweet, warm breakfast rolls.

Of course, there are ways you can have your sticky bun and eat it guilt-free, too. If you make the right choices, you can easily create your own baked morning treats that not only taste good but are also good for you.

Take the recipe I’d like to share for Cinnamon Swirl Honey Whole-Wheat Bread. As fancy as that may sound, it’s incredibly easy to mix and bake, though it does take a few hours of waiting for the yeast to do its work making the dough rise.

The recipe’s combination of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours produces a loaf that is pleasantly tender while also delivering a healthy dose of fiber with each serving. A spoonful of honey adds a subtle touch of mellow sweetness. And just a little sugar helps deliver the aromatic aroma of the ground cinnamon that is swirled through each of the two loaves produced by the recipe. Yet, for all the satisfying pleasure the loaves provide, each serving of two 1/2-inch slices add up to only about 137 calories, with a mere 25 percent of those coming from fat.

Not only is the recipe delicious and healthy, but it’s also versatile. If you like, you can add seedless raisins or dried cranberries or cherries, dotting them on top of the cinnamon sugar before you roll up each rectangle of dough. Some toasted chopped walnuts or slivered almonds would also be good, incorporated in the same way.

I like to toast the bread to enjoy with my morning coffee or for Sunday brunch, and it’s also good for sandwiches. Once it has cooled completely after baking, the second loaf that the recipe yields may be sealed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for up to several weeks, then thawed in the refrigerator before use. The dough itself can also be used to make excellent homemade pizzas or other flatbreads.

May I suggest you try preparing the recipe this Sunday when you have a few hours? That way, you’ll still have some ready to slice and serve next Tuesday as a healthy alternative to National Sticky Bun Day.

CINNAMON SWIRL HONEY WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD

Makes two 9-inch loaves

Ingredients:

Honey Whole-Wheat Yeast Dough (recipe follows)

Nonstick cooking spray

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Prepare the Honey Whole-Wheat Yeast Dough.

After the dough has rested, covered, for 10 minutes, divide it into two equal pieces. On a lightly floured work surface and with clean hands, gently roll and shape each piece to make an even ball shape. Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each ball to form a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.

Evenly spray the insides of two 9-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Lightly brush the surface of each rectangle with cold water. Starting at the nearest shorter edge of each rectangle, evenly sprinkle each piece of dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture up to 1 inch from the opposite edge.

Starting at the nearest short edge, tightly roll up each rectangle of dough. Place one roll, seam down, in each prepared loaf pan. Cover the pans with a damp towel, and leave to rise at warm room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

With a sharp knife, lightly score three evenly spaced diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake the loaves until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Carefully turn them out of the pans onto a wire rack to cool before slicing with a bread knife.

HONEY WHOLE-WHEAT YEAST DOUGH

Makes enough for two 9-inch loaves

Sponge:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, 80 degrees

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

Dough:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

First, prepare the sponge: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, stir together the yeast, water and honey until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours just until a soft, loose dough forms. Cover with a clean towel, and set aside at warm room temperature for 20 minutes.

To prepare the dough, add the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the salt and the olive oil to the sponge. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and attach the bowl with the dough. Mix on the next-to-lowest speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing on medium speed until the dough looks well developed and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Honey Whole-Wheat Bread.

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