Cinnamon Twists

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water (about 40°C)
• 1 packet (7 g) of active dry yeast
• 3 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 0.5 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 140 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Vegetable oil to grease the bowl
• 3/4 cup red decorative sugar
• 2.5 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Pour water into a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top, and stir. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and salt. Mix in the butter with your fingers until fine crumbs form. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Knead into a loose dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it comes together into a ball (it will still be soft and sticky).
2. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil, place the dough in the bowl, and turn it over to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, red sugar, and cinnamon. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface; shape into an 8-inch (20cm) square and cut into 4 pieces.
4. Cut each quarter of the dough into 12 small squares. Sprinkle a small amount of red sugar mixture onto a work surface and roll each piece of dough in the sugar mixture into a 15-17 cm long rope. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2.5 cm apart, forming each rope into a loop.
5. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are firm, 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. These cookies are best eaten the same day they are baked.