Photo: Kristin/The Kitchen Sink Blog

One of life's few certainties is this: the smell of baking bread is a good thing. But the smell of baking cinnamon bread? That's something outside of the realm of certainty, residing instead in the sphere of sublime, irrevocable and universal truths.

This loaf, baked by Kristin at the Kitchen Sink Blog, appears to encapsulate all of the virtues of cinnamon bread. Chief among them: the Milky Way-like whorl at its center and the plentiful nooks and crannies that would make ideal receptacles for rapidly melting butter. The shallow pool of melted cinnamon and sugar in the bread's bottom left corner could inspire the beginnings of new civilization. Kristin writes that this bread was "a childhood favorite," but really, this looks more like a favorite to sustain an entire lifetime.

[Via The Kitchen Sink Blog]

The Cinnamon Bun Bread that Alison, from The Flour Room, recently made is the perfect recipe for anyone who loves cinnamon buns but doesn't have the time or the inclination to make a whole batch of yeasted rolls. The recipe is from Fin Arthur Flour and does use yeast in the recipe, but it is no more difficult than a quickbread. The batter is mixed up, stands at room temperature for about an hour while the yeast works and gives the bread some lightness, opening up the crumb of the bread to prevent it from becoming too dense, and is then poured into a loaf pan for baking. A bit of baking powder helps the bread rise even more, making this a pretty foolproof option, even for the yeast-phobic bakers out there.

This loaf has a cinnamon sugar topping and cinnamon chips swirled throughout. Cinnamon chips are available at many grocery stores, but alternative options for this loaf include adding in chocolate chips or doubling (or tripling) the topping recipe, dividing the batter in half, and adding a layer of cinnamon sugar mixture to the center of the loaf.

Cinnamon raisin bread is made for toasting, as I learned early in life. White bread does make a fine piece of toast, but the aroma released by the cinnamon as each slices toasts is heavenly and there is no need to point out that it is also a perfect vehicle for butter. Much like Ideas in Food, I like to top mine with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, too. This Smoked Cinnamon Raisin Bread is unique, however, because it uses smoked butter in the dough and has its juicy raisins soaked in rum. Both additional flavors lend a richness and depth to the bread that would not otherwise be there. Raisin toast may be a childhood pleasure, but this is a decidedly adult version.

Smoked butter can be bought here, but you can always fall back to regular butter if smoked is unavailable to you.