One of my favourite, IF NOT MY favourite baked good has to be Ole & Steen’s Cinnamon Social.   I don’t know what it is that makes me obsess about it. Is it the buttery brioche-like bread?  The swirls of warming cinnamon.  Perhaps the secret custard that gets baked in.  Or is it the glaze on top?  Who cares? Because I absolutely love it. 

Since lockdown, I’ve been lost without my Cinnamon Social… so I decided to take on and try and make the Cinnamon Social myself at home.   Now the Ole & Steen Cinnamon Social Recipe is not out there to google and find.  So I had to put my detective hat on and do some research. 

After a little bit of research, I found the proper Danish name for the Cinnamon Social.  Its called the Kanelstang or cinnamon twig.  I guess because it looks like a log. 
Most of the recipes were in danish… so I based my recipe on this one from Valsemollen.dk as the finished product looks most like my beloved Ole & Steen Cinnamon Social. I’ve popped my version of Ole & Steen Cinnamon Social Recipe below.

MAKES 2 ‘loafs’
Dough
150ml Whole Milk
18 grams yeast 
200g butter (melted and cooled)
2 Eggs
75g Caster Sugar 
500g plain flour 
½ teaspoon of salt. 
1 egg beaten (for wash)

Cinnamon Filling
200g Butter
200g Caster
4tbs of Cinnamon 
Pinch of sea salt. 

Cheats Pastry Cream 
70g Birds Custard Powder
75g Caster Sugar
500ml Whole milk (Corrected Quantity)

Sugar Syrup
150g Caster Sugar
75ml Water

Glaze 
300g Icing Sugar
40ml Milk 
1tsp vanilla extract

Make your Cheat’s Pastry Cream 
Put custard powder and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.
Mix into a smooth paste with a little (approx. 2 tablespoons) milk taken from 1000ml  Milk
Add the remaining milk and cook on full power for 6 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking period.
Pop in the fridge until we are ready to assemble 

The Dough 
Warn the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds… We are looking for bath temp warm milk.  Any warmer and it will kill the yeast. 

Add the yeast and stir to dissolve.   Let the yeast sit for about 10 minutes to come alive… you will be looking for a thick foam on top of your milk. 

Once you see action in your yeast add your cooled melted butter, 2 eggs and caster sugar.  Mix and set aside. 

Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the machine running on low, slowly stream in the yeast/milk/egg mixture to combine.   

Once all the liquid has combined turn up the power to low medium and let the dough knead for about 6-7 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.   

Once you are at the 6-minute mark add the salt and mix to combine. 

Remove the dough and place it in a buttered bowl and cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place till doubled in size. 

Cinnamon Filling 
Make your Cinnamon filling by combining the softened butter, sugar and cinnamon with a pinch or two of sea salt.   Set aside. 

Glaze
Mix all ingredients to make a glaze… You may need to add a touch more sugar or milk… you want a double cream consistency 

Sugar Syrup
Dissolve caster sugar in water over a low heat.
Leave to cool.

To assemble and bake 
Divide your risen dough into half.  Using a rolling pin; roll out the two dough pieces into two rectangles (35×45 cm – 14×18 inch) on a lightly floured surface.

Equally, distribute the ½ of the cinnamon filling on top of the dough. Then spread half of the pastry cream on top of the cinnamon filling. 

Roll the dough together into a tight log. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Place the logs onto two baking trays lined with baking parchment.

Using a sharp knife… cut through the logs but not all the way through.. Make these cuts every inch down the log.  Now take each section and pull it into the opposite direction. This is where the video comes in handy. 

Cover the dough with cling film and let prove again for 30-45 minutes. 

Beat an egg and brush the cinnamon socials with it. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and bake them for about 20 minutes. When the socials come out of the oven… brush with sugar syrup. When the Cinnamon socials are cooled off; decorate them with icing.