Cinnamon Apple Pecan Bumpy Bread

  In honor of Bread Baking Day #2, I pulled out the United Presbyterian Women's Cookbook from Algona, Iowa. My Grammie belonged to this church for about 40 years and I would attend with her when I visited during the summer. Thinking back now, I have images of Midwestern ladies all done up with white gloves and a fancy handbag, the service being followed by some sort of luncheon in the basement where Jello was always served, and communion consisting of grape juice and small squares of Wonder bread, reflections of Midwestern civility. I hope that the congregation in my memory still attends church there - as I like the idea that people still think that church is an occasion worth dressing up for. People in Colorado attend church dressed as though they stopped by on the way to a monster truck rally. But I digress... Anyway, with years of feeding farmers under their belts, the ladies of the United Presbyterian Church in Algona, Iowa can cook! They don't cook fancy stuff but it's fresh, wholesome and always delicious (except their scary and unusual love of scalloped corn, which I never understood). My Grammie gave me a copy of the church cookbook as a housewarming gift when I moved into my first apartment. I don't have any idea when it was published - there is no date, but my mom has had a cookbook just like it for as long as I can remember. It's full of homey recipes designed for simple cooking, and my mom is full of stories about the ladies who contributed to it, including the church organist Mrs. Mawdsley (who's recipe I used here), my mom's 6th grade music teacher.

My mom is truly the master of these rolls and I have tried my best to duplicate her efforts. This is a fantastic recipe that always gets rave reviews when I make them, and everyone that attends the Christmas Eve fish dinner at my house goes home with a pan of them to enjoy on Christmas morning. This is a great all-purpose sweet roll recipe to make cinnamon rolls, coffee rounds or doughnuts with, depending on how you decide to form, fill and cook them. For Bread Baking Day #2, I chopped up two apples and 1/2 cup of pecans and added them to the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon I filled the dough with, cut the dough into small pieces and dropped them into a loaf pan to make Bumpy Bread. It still tastes like sweet rolls but can be sliced and even toasted if you want. Try it and let me know what you think!

This is my entry into Bread Baking Day #2, generously hosted by Columbus Foodie. Check the link after August 4th to see all of the fruity bread entries!    

Cinnamon Apple Pecan Bumpy Bread

Inspired by Mrs. Richard Mawdsley's Cinnamon Roll recipe in the United Presbyterian Women's Cookbook, Algona, Iowa

5 teaspoons yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

Dissolve in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, add:

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup of sugar

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over this. Let cool and then add:

2 eggs

4 cups of flour

Mix well. Add yeast mixture and 3 more cups of flour. When well combined, let the mixture stand for an hour to rise, knead down the dough and let rise again.

To fill:

1/2 cup softened butter

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

2 apples, chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Divide dough and roll out into a large puffy square. Cover with 1/2 of the butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, and 1/2 of the apples and pecans. Fold up the sides to make a package. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into small pieces, and drop into a greased 9" loaf pan. Dough will fall apart - don't worry. Let rise 30 minutes and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Ice with powdered sugar frosting, if desired. Enjoy!

This recipe makes too much dough to bake in two 9" loaf pans without making a mess. You might do better with three 8" pans, or two 9" pans and 2 small loaf pans. Experiment with different shapes and fillings - I'd love to hear what you come up with! 

Comments

[zorra]

Oh my good, it looks so delicious! I'm drooling! ;-)

[Chelsea]

Thanks, Zorra!

[Dolores]

Got to love Midwestern Church Grandmas! Who needs fancy stuff... fresh, wholesome and delicious are just fine with me. I'm making these with the first fall rain.

[pancreatic abscess]

Cinnamon is widely known for its culinary uses, to flavor different preparations. However, it has also an important medicinal properties, for its benefits in reducing blood triglycerides and cholesterol. Hence, the consumption of cinnamon for lowering both cholesterol and triglyceridemia, impacting positively on the prevention of heart disease.