Braided Cinnamon Loaf

Ingredients for the Bread:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water (90-110°F)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions for the Dough:

1. Heat milk, sugar and salt in saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar melts and a few small bubbles appear at the edges of pan. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the other elements.
2. Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water (90°F to 110°F) in bowl of stand mixer. Stir mixture with paddle attachment (or wooden spoon) until well-blended. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. Beat eggs into yeast mixture. Stir in cooled milk mixture (it should be lukewarm, 98°F to 115°F) and switch to dough hook. Add in flour a little at a time until dough is elastic. Add melted butter and mix again; add in more flour until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides of mixer. You may not have to use all the flour: do not add so much flour that dough does not stick to your hands; it should be slightly tacky. Knead dough for five minutes in mixer with dough hook, or knead with hands on a floured surface.
4. Place dough in buttered bowl and turn over to coat entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled.
5. Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and cut into two pieces. Roll out each piece to 12×9-inch rectangles.

For the Filling:

1. Generously brush rolled dough pieces with melted butter. Sprinkle each with half of cinnamon sugar mixture and roll them up jelly-roll style. Cut rolls down center lengthwise and carefully braid the pieces together by crossing them over one another. Using spatula or bench scraper, carefully lift braided loaf into buttered 9-inch loaf pan; repeat with remaining loaf. Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 190°F.
3. Serve slices of bread warm from pan, or let loaves cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto wire rack to cool fully.