Orange Marmalade Bread

This recipe was from a Taste of the South magazine, and it had been peculating in one of my recipe folders for a very long time. The recipe was for Orange Marmalade Twist Bread. I had never eaten marmalade, despite being enamored with Paddington Bear and his sticky adventures. But I do love citrus notes in desserts. So one afternoon I pulled out the recipe and made it. It was nice, but not quite right. The dough is a basic sweet yeast bread and for me it fell short the way that so many cinnamon roll recipes do; the dough was bland and bread-y while the filling was the only lovely bit. So I decided that if this was going to be an orange bread then, by golly, it was going to have orange in the dough also. I was impressed with the large amount of zest in my Smuckers jar of marmalade. I decided that it could substitute for the zest and juice of an orange that I was thinking of putting into my dough.

I simply put 3 Tbsp of the marmalade right into the dough. Moma and Pop agreed that my change was for the better. This is now the stickiest, orangest, marmalade bread you will ever eat! Paddington would be proud. You can find the original recipe here, if you would like that one. Below I tell you how I made it, and at the bottom is the recipe.

Look at all the strips of orange zest in the dough!

The magazine called for a stand mixer for combining the dough. I have never owned one, but I do have a bread machine. I put all the dough ingredients in the pan of my bread maker and let it go for about 15 minutes on the basic setting. This accomplished the mixing of the ingredients, a rest, and then a kneading time. If you have a stand mixer feel free to use it; otherwise, a bread machine does the trick.

 You mix marmalade with brown sugar to create the filling. Then you roll up the dough, long side to long side. Cutting the roll in half down the middle, be sure to leave several inches at the top intact to keep the two pieces attached. Then you just twist the strands over each other. I have to admit it was easier the first time I did it because the dough was not as soft. 

I originally followed their instructions, lining the pan with parchment paper. I DID NOT do that again. Parchment is used to keep something from sticking, but when the marmalade cooled it became like an orange tar (a deadly delicious tar!) that clung tenaciously to the paper and the pan. This time I simply greased my pan as usual and then turned out the baked bread immediately out onto a platter to cool. That way all the melted marmalade that oozes from the filling doesn't leave you chipping the bread out of the pan with a jackhammer.

Coaxing the twist into the pan is a bit like moving a boneless snake, but do it bit by bit and you can get it. Just tuck it in a circle around itself.

 I baked the bread and then immediately used a knife to cut it free from the sides, and a turner to lift it out and onto the cake plate. This solved the problem of the jam cooling and melding the bread to the pan.

I  heated all the rest of the marmalade in the jar with a couple teaspoons of water until it was thin enough to brush onto the cake. I brushed it while the bread and jam were still hot, and that made it deliciously moist for days. 

The dough was also a pleasant surprise. I thought the addition of the jam might have made it dense and gummy, but it was very light and tender. And the addition of marmalade in the dough meant there was an orange flavor and the chew of zest in every bite. No more bland bread!

This has a satisfying texture, and the sweet, sticky citrus makes it great with hot tea or coffee. Just that tiny change in the dough, and turning out the bread while hot, saved this recipe from my scrap heap. It's a perfect thing for fall baking!

Do you see my adorable vintage looking cuptowel? It was a gift from a friend in New South Wales, Australia. Isn't it amazing to think I have a friend all the way over the sea? Thank you, Ms. Melanie!


Orange Marmalade Bread
Ingredients:
 1 full jar of Smuckers orange marmalade 

Dough:

• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp (or 1 package) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 2 large eggs

Filling:

• ⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup orange marmalade

Glaze:

• remaining marmalade

Instructions
For Dough:
If using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place flour, sugar, yeast, orange zest, and salt in the bowl of the mixer. Melt the butter with the 3 Tbsp marmalade. Add this along with the sour cream and eggs. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook attachment; beat for 8 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.

If using a bread machine, melt the butter with the 3 Tbsp marmalade. Pour into the bread pan along with the sour cream and the lightly beaten eggs. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well and add the yeast. Allow the mixer to run through a mixing mode, rest, and knead. On my machine this was about 15 minutes of the basic bread setting. Take out the dough and knead lightly by hand if the dough is rough, until a smooth ball. Cover with a cloth and rest 10 minutes.
Assembly & Baking:

1. Grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch round cake pan
2. To make the filling, combine brown sugar and marmalade in a small bowl.
3. On a floured surface, roll dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle. Spread with filling, leaving a 1-inch border on long sides of dough. Starting with one long side, tightly roll up dough, jelly-roll style, and press edge to seal. Using a serrated knife, cut roll in half lengthwise. Carefully twist dough pieces around each other, and form into a circle in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm (75°), draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a platter, you may need to run a knife around the edges to do so. Put the rest of the marmalade in the saucepan you melted the butter in and add a couple tsp of water. Heat over low until thin enough to easily brush on with a pastry brush. This bread keeps fresh and moist for several days.
5. Enjoy!