Orange Cardamom Breakfast Twist Recipe
This Orange Cardamom Breakfast Twist is a delightful sweet bread perfect for brunch or breakfast. A soft, buttery dough is enriched with aromatic cardamom and brightened with fresh orange zest, twisted into a beautiful ring shape and baked to golden perfection. Finished with a smooth orange glaze, this pastry offers a perfect balance of citrus and spice flavors in every bite.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ¾ cup milk, warmed to about 110°F (about 40 seconds in the microwave)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (226 g / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- Pinch kosher salt
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice (or juice from one orange)
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast: Heat ¾ cup of milk in the microwave until about 110°F, then add the active dry yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes bubbly and foamy.
- Prepare the dough base: In a large bowl, combine the bloomed yeast mixture with the egg, granulated sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter and flour: Grate the cold butter using a grater and add it along with the all-purpose flour to the bowl. Mix using your hands or a stand mixer with a dough hook until just incorporated and the dough starts to come together.
- Knead the dough: Continue kneading by hand or with the stand mixer until a smooth ball forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough: Once risen, place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out to a ½ inch thickness into a rough rectangle.
- Spread the filling: Evenly spread the softened butter over the dough, reaching all edges. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, orange zest, cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- Form the twist: Roll the dough from the longer side into a tight log and pinch the seam to seal. Place the seam side down and carefully cut the log lengthwise into two halves, stopping about 1 inch from one end.
- Twist the dough: Starting near the uncut end, lift one half over the other, creating a twist. Continue twisting 2-3 more times, then coil the twisted dough into a circle with the cut layers facing up.
- Second rise: Transfer the dough ring to a buttered 8 or 9-inch skillet. Cover and let it rise for another hour.
- Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the cover and bake the dough ring for 25 minutes until golden brown. Cover loosely with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze: While the bread cools slightly, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and orange juice until runny.
- Glaze and serve: After the bread has cooled for about 10 minutes, pour the orange glaze over it, letting it soak in. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Ensure the milk is warm, not hot, to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Cold butter grated into the dough creates a flaky texture similar to laminated dough.
- The twist shape exposes the layers filled with the orange-cardamom filling for a visually appealing and flavorful result.
- If you don’t have cardamom, you can substitute with cinnamon for a different but delicious flavor.
- This bread can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Let the bread cool slightly before glazing so the glaze absorbs better without melting off.
Keywords: Orange Cardamom Bread, Breakfast Twist, Sweet Breakfast Bread, Cardamom Bread, Orange Zest Pastry, Breakfast Pastry
