Hello, fellow sweet tooth! Are you here to find out more about sweet baked goods? You’ve come to the right place!
We’re going to talk about the different types of sweet bread, are you interested? Of course, you are! Read on to find out more about your favorite sweet bread and maybe even discover new ones.
Table of Contents
Cinnamon Buns
Can you guess where cinnamon buns originated? It starts with Swe and ends with den. Cinnamon buns were first introduced in 18th century Sweden. The original kanelbulle is significantly less heavy than the buns we eat today. This is because the dough is topped with a little glaze, rather than icing. While making cinnamon buns isn’t hard, it requires a lot of work so make sure you’re up for the job first.
Cinnamon rolls are perfect for brunch. They’re traditionally served during coffee breaks known in Sweden as fika. They’re also a great breakfast; they’ll give you the energy you need to be on top of your chores. Speaking of energy, or lack thereof, did you know that another name for them is “cinnamon snail”?
Croissants
One of France’s best creations, croissants are pretty indispensable to every single one of us, or so we thought! These perfectly-sized, crescent-shaped pastries aren’t even French! In 1683, the Kipfel was made to celebrate Austria’s victory over Turkey. Not only are they perfect for brunch, but you can also carry them with you to work.
What to eat them with? You name it. You can add your favorite cheese, heat it up, throw in some cold-cuts, and much more. If you prefer them sweet as can be, jam them up! Even if you don’t feel like adding anything or simply don’t have the time, you can leave them plain. Croissants are made of buttered layers of dough. Their buttery taste is enjoyable by itself! Croissants do require some baking skills to make, so be patient with yourself if your croissants don’t turn out perfectly.
Babka
While babka is a Jewish creation, no one really knows whether it was first introduced in the Mediterranean or in Eastern Europe. Its initial popularity, however, started in Poland. Babka means little grandmother; it’s said to have been named as such because it resembles grandma’s pleated skirts. Babka used to be sweetened with honey and only topped with raisins and other dried fruits. Babka today, however, is known for the chocolate and cinnamon brush on top. This softens the pastry’s dense composition and gives it some moisture.
Babka is started by preparing regular challah dough before adding the sweetness. Making babka isn’t complicated, but it requires multiple steps so you need to be patient and have time to spare. Its chocolatey taste goes great with coffee, which makes it ideal for breakfast and brunch time!
Coffee Cake
These two words apart are magical, put them together and you get perfection. Who do we have to thank for this genius combo? Germany. If you’ve been to Germany then you know how heavenly their bakeries are and coffee cakes are proof of that; one day there was a regular cake and the next someone had added coffee to it. It’s the little things in life that make it so enjoyable.
If you ask us, we’d say coffee cakes can be had at any time in the day or night. But normal human beings who aren’t obsessed with coffee would say they’re great for brunch and breakfast specifically. Imagine drinking coffee while eating a coffee cake. Yum! As much as we’d like to take credit for this idea, sadly it’s not ours. The Danish were the first to introduce the concept of a coffee cake; it was their custom to eat cake while drinking coffee in the 17th century. We owe them a thank you too. You can easily make them at home, no baking experience needed. Do you want a pro tip? Throw in some blueberries!
Banana Bread
Do you know what February 23rd is? It’s the National Banana Bread day! That’s how much banana bread means to America. This “healthy” dessert started out in 1930, thanks to the mass production of baking powder in America.
You can have it for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. It’s quite easy, don’t worry. You basically just combine the ingredients and set the oven timer. How about that?
Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread is perfect for summer brunches. Here’s something you might not know, America’s beloved zucchini was introduced to them in the mid 20th century by Italians. Shortly after, settlers started making zucchini bread. It’s an easy quick bread that can come in quite handy when you want something sweet.
If you’ve never had it before it probably sounds weird to you, but don’t worry, it doesn’t actually taste like zucchini at all. It’s just a sweet bread with a hint of cinnamon. You can also add some walnuts to kick it up a little. The best part? It has the health benefits of a zucchini! So you’ll basically have a dessert that has the benefits of a little salad, albeit with some sugar and carbs.
Panettone
Do you know that big cake you have on Christmas and New Year’s? It’s called a panettone! This large, fluffy, leavened cake is similar to sourdough. The dried fruits inside it are what give it its sweetness. Panettone actually has Italian origins; the first time it’s ever been mentioned was in a manuscript in Milan.
While it’s not impossible that you make your own panettone cake at home, it’s a long, tiring process and it might not end up tasting the right way. It’s easier to purchase from the supermarket, especially to get that authentic Italian taste. Actually, there’s a competition in Milan that was launched in 2008. Re Panettone, which translated into the panettone king, aims to encourage Italian bakers to come up with different variations of the party cake.
Stollen
Another Christmas cake, even though it’s technically bread and not cake, stollen is the German version of the panettone. It can be traced back to the 14th century, where they baked 30-pound loaves. Tradition dictates that the first piece of stollen would be saved until the following year to guarantee a family has food in the future. Another fun fact, the largest stollen ever made was in 2013. It weighed almost 9400 pounds!
Christstollen is basically yeast bread that has raisins or dried fruits in it. Nuts are always an option too. It’s associated with Christmas for its religious traces; it symbolizes the body of Christ. If you want to try this at home, have at it! It might not be the easiest recipe but you should still be able to make it even if you’re a beginner.
Danish Pastry
One of our all-time favorite desserts is Danish pastry. We love it even though it’s sticky, sugary, and slightly heavy. Some might say that’s why it’s so popular! Don’t let its name fool you, it’s not really Danish. Who would believe this sweet, flaky dessert was the food of the Vikings? Not us. Austrians were the ones who taught the Danish how to make what became known as Danish pastry. What’s even more interesting is that it might have all started in France in the first place! There’s a story about a French baker who realized he forgot to add butter to the pastry so he added it to the middle of the already prepared dough.
This buttery pastry is perfect for brunch. Needless to say, it tastes amazing. Especially when it has custard or jam in it. Great, now you’ve made us hungry! Making Danish means you’re going to have to do a lot of folding. It needs some baking skills but it’s not impossible for beginners.
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin’s popularity rose two centuries ago when Europeans discovered it from Native Americans. One of its many forms is pumpkin bread, another quick bread that you can eat at brunch. You can bake some pumpkin bread this thanksgiving so that even your in-between meal matches the spirit of the holiday! It’ll only take a couple of minutes. In fact, why don’t you cook it for Halloween as well, it’s that easy to make.
Pumpkin bread is a healthy dessert that you can eat by itself or with chocolate or by adding things like honey, cream cheese, chocolate, or jam. What we love the most about it is how moist it is, oh, and healthy of course!
Apple Bread
Don’t you love foods that get better over time? Apple bread is one of them! It’s creamy and moist, you’ll love it! It’s a great option if you’re tired of eating banana bread. Another French pastry, this one is quick and easy to bake!
The taste of apples already makes the bread sweet, but you can add to it some honey if you wish. Cream cheese and jam are always a good idea.
The Bottom Line
You’re thinking about going to the kitchen and baking at least one of these bad boys aren’t you? We know we are! Now you know which ones are easy to bake and which ones aren’t. The beauty of some types of sweet bread is that there are healthy options. Now, preheat that oven and get baking!
