Cinnamon Twists!

The sweets just keep on coming! Turns out "bread" day also includes cinnamon rolls and donuts and things of the like. So that's what I ended up making, Cinnamon Twists! 

First off I had to make a sweet dough. To start off I had to 'scald 1/2 cup of milk' which I took as simmering on a pot. Then I stirred in 1/2 cup of sugar, 1.5tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of shortening and cooled the mixture. In another bowl with 1/2 cup of warm water I stirred in 2 packs of active dry yeast, until it dissolved. I added two beaten eggs, and 3 cups of sifted flour. I beat this all together until it was smooth then I slowly stirred in another cup of flour. (The recipe calls for 2 cups but I felt the dough was dry enough with just one cup). I kneaded the dough on a floured counter until it was smooth, put it in a greased bowl, and rushed it on top with soft shortening. I covered it with plastic wrap, then but it in the proofing box that we had in class that was set to around 100 degrees. After about an hour took it out.

I split this dough recipe in half with another one of my friends in the class. So with my half i rolled it out flat on my floured counter to make about a 12x12 square of dough. I brushed it with 1/4 cup of melted margarine. I made a cinnamon sugar mixture with 1 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon. I sprinkled about 3 tbsp of this cinnamon sugar on the center third of the of the dough then folded 1/3 of the dough over the center. I sprinkled 3 more tbsp of cinnamon sugar on top. Then i folded the last third over the 2 layers. I cut the dough into about 1in strips and took hold of each end of the strip and twisted tightly in opposite directions. I placed them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on top and sprinkled the rest of the cinnamon sugar on top and covered the whole tray with plastic. I put it back in the warm proofing box for another 20 or 30mins. Then they bake in an 350 degree oven for 25mins. 

I didn't eat them right away which was my mistake because when I got to one later that night it was a little cold and dense. Not bad though. I'm sure, right out of the oven it would've been great!