🍞 NEW: Cinnamon Toast Slice-and-Bake Cookies


Cinnamon toast slice-and-bake cookies

When I was a kid, my mom would make us a really special treat: toasted bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar.

What could be better?

These cookies take that goodness into a cross between a flaky, buttery dough and the best childhood treat.

They're also fantastic for the holidays, you can make a few "dough logs" (as I like to call 'em), keep them in the fridge (or freezer), and slice just before baking. And since you slice and bake, you can make a lot of cookiesβ€”FAST!

If you have that holiday cookie swap, last-minute gift, or you want to be sure you aren't going through the rest of this month with maximum deliciousness, these cookies are for you.

Read on!

In this week's newsletter:

  • Recipes: Cinnamon toast cookies
  • Baking Tip: Does the baking vessel mean anything?
  • Links: The best panettone awards; A 70-year-old panettone bakery in Sicily.

🍞 New cinnamon toast cookies

The perfect cookie for large parties or to leave out in the kitchen during the holidays. They won't last long.

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πŸ’¬ Member Discussion of the Week

Can the size - meaning the diameter of a Dutch oven- influence my loaf's round shape and rise? I’m asking because my friend and I are baking together side by side; everything is the same except her boules are perfectly round, and mine are still slightly flat. The only variable is the size of our pots. Her diameter is 9”, mine is 10.5”. I’ve been so frustrated with my shaping; could this be the issue?
As for the baking vessel, I can tell you that a smaller pot will keep the dough more tightly rounded. As the dough starts to spread toward the sides of the pot, the heat will stop it from spreading further.

This also suggests you might have a dough-strength issue. Be sure your dough is well mixed and has enough stretches and folds during bulk so it's strong when you divide and preshape. After you preshape, if the dough spreads rapidly on the counter, it's not strong enough and might need a second preshaping (round it up again and let it rest one more time). Finally, are you shaping the dough tightly enough to hold its shape when proofing in the basket? If you tip your dough out to score it, and it spreads, it must not be tight enough.

πŸ›Ÿ 2 Ways I Can Help You Today


πŸ“™ What I'm Reading and Watching

  • ​The Best Panettone (Wirecutter). Wirecutter just updated their list of the best panettone, and I can second that Olivieri is the best traditional panettone easily purchased here in the USA. I visited their bakery this year, and it was of really high quality.
    ​
  • ​The Town That Panettone Built (EATER). Love this look at this medieval village producing Sicilian panettone. These multi-generational bakers are inspiring!

Happy baking!

P.S. If you're still looking for that last-minute gift, my 2025 gift guide has it all!

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