Sourdough Cinnamon Wreath with Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

This combination of sourdough and cinnamon rolls creates a beautiful festive breakfast treat. 

Schedule consideration: I recommend making the dough the evening before so that it can rise overnight and then finish preparing and baking the wreath the next morning. 

For Dough, You Will Need

• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 160 g 2% milk (about ⅔ cup)
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp salted butter, melted but not boiling
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 350 g flour 
• 5 g sea salt

To Make Dough

1. Blend all the wet ingredients together using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. (Be sure that the butter has cooled to warm but not solidified yet.)
2. Add the dry ingredients and continue to mix for about 5 minutes or so, until the dough forms and begins to pull away from the wall of the mixing bowl.
3. Transfer the dough to a glass bowl and cover with a beeswax wrap.
4. Stretch and fold the dough three times over the next hour and then cover and set in a warm place (70 degrees is ideal) for the bulk rise overnight.
5. The next morning, coat an area of your countertop with oil and sprinkle with flour. This combination works really well to keep your dough from sticking to the counter while still keeping it all in tact.
6. Drop your dough (which should have doubled in size overnight) on this coated area and gently, evenly begin to roll the dough out into an oblong oval shape.
7. Melt 2 tbsp of butter (again, be sure it's not hot; just warm) and brush it to cover the top of the dough.

For Filling, You Will Need

• ½ cup sugar 
• 3 heaping tsp cinnamon
• 2 tspn flour (optional but helpful to keep the filling from leaking out when baking)

To Make Filling

1. Blend the filling ingredients together and sprinkle evening over the butter-brushed dough.

To Shape Wreath and Bake

1. Roll the dough (beginning at the long side) tightly to create a long "log" shape.
2. Take a knife (I always spray some oil on the knife so this step goes smoothly) and slice the log in half the long way, starting at one end and cutting through to the other end.
3. Twist the two pieces around each other and then form the braid into a circle, connecting the two ends by pinching them together.
4. Transfer your dough wreath to a piece of parchment paper and place in a pie pan. Let it sit, covered with a linen, for an hour.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the braid begins to brown.

While the braid is baking, make your icing.

For Chai Cream Cheese Drizzle, You Will Need

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ tsp chai spice blend (see Chai Spice Blend blog article for recipe)

To Make Icing

1. Combine the icing ingredients and blend well, until there are no cream cheese lumps.
2. Taste test and add more chai spice blend if you want a stronger and more fragrant icing.
3. Add more milk to thin your icing, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the consistency you prefer and drizzle it over your wreath.

Add dried citrus, cranberries, rosemary, or any other festive details to your wreath and serve! It is sure to be a new favorite.