Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Sliced bread on a plate in front of two loaves on a wire rack.

Baking fresh bread at home has become my new obsession. I have tried many different kinds of bread and will be posting plenty of recipes in the coming weeks! Sandwich bread, artisanal, baguettes and pumpernickel are some of the different breads that I have baked in the last month.

Baking bread is not difficult to do. More than anything, just takes time. Bread dough needs to proof/rise a couple of times before it bakes so, from start to finish, bread takes a good few hours to make. Most of that time though, you are just waiting while the dough rises.

My new bread has quickly become the most popular kind among those in my family. This cinnamon sweet bread tastes quite a bit like a cinnamon roll. All throughout the bread there is a swirl of cinnamon and sugar. While the sweet swirl is delicious, the bottom of the bread is just deadly as the sugar and cinnamon caramelize during the baking process and it tastes like candy. 

This bread is so good!

Cinnamon bread slices on a plate.

This bread actually tastes like a cinnamon roll. It is sweet, light and fluffy and surprisingly simple to make. The hardest part of this bread is the time that you will have to wait while it is rising, baking and cooling.

Trust me, the aroma that fills the house while the bread is in the oven will test your patience! You will want to dig into it right away.

Cinnamon bread slices on a plate with some butter.

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Flourwhile I like to use bread flour for yeast based breads, all-purpose will also work.
  • MilkI love bread made with milk.
  • Water
  • Yeastthis recipe uses active dry yeast, but instant/quick yeasts will also work but the rising time will need to be adjusted.
  • Sugar
  • Butter make sue that the butter is softened before making the dough.
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon
  • Oilthis is only used for the metal bowl that is used for proofing the dough.

Bread dough in a metal mixing bowl.

How To Make Bread Dough

I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook to knead the cinnamon swirl bread dough. It is super easy and takes only a few minutes to mix the ingredients and knead it into a nice smooth dough.

While the ingredients use dry active yeast, I have also included some alternate instructions in the ‘Notes’ of the recipe for instant yeast. The quantity of yeast is the same for both, it is just that dry active yeast needs to be dissolved in the warm water first, and then left to rest for 10 minutes, before mixing with the flour.

Instant yeast can be mixed with the flour and other dry ingredients first and then mixed with the wet ingredients and kneaded to form the dough.

Expert Tip: When kneading the dough, it should be fairly wet, but not sticky. After the mixer has been kneading the dough for a few minutes, it should come away from the bowl as seen in the picture above. If that is not happening, add some extra flour – a very little bit at a time (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon at a time).

Bread dough in a large metal bowl before rising.

The First Rise Is Important

Grease a large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Turn so that all sides lightly coated in the oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and let proof and rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Risen dough in a large bowl.

After the dough has finished its first rise, punch it down and knead it to work out the big air bubbles. Split into two equal portions of dough.

Dough rolled out on a marble board.

Take one portion of dough and place on a smooth surface. Roll out to the shape of a 15 x 10 inch rectangle.

Cinnamon sugar sprinkled on rolled out bread dough.

Brush the rolled out dough with melted butter then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Dough rolled into a log and resting on a marble board.

Tightly roll up the dough so that it forms a 10 inch log.

Dough placed in a greased glass loaf pan.

Place the rolled up dough into a greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 minutes.

Dough in a loaf pan after it has finished rising.

The dough is finished proofing when it has doubled in size and risen about an inch above the loaf pan.

How Long To Bake Bread In The Oven

Place the loaf pans in a 350F oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 195-200F if checked with a digital thermometer.

Expert Tip: Make sure to keep space between the loaf pans while they are in the oven. This allows the heat to circulate all around the bread.

Two loaves of baked bread in glass loaf pans.

Once finished baking, place the loaf pans on a cooling rack. Brush the top of the loaves with melted butter.

Two love of bread on a cooling rack.

After the bread has rested for about 5-10 minutes, Remove the bread from the loaf pans and place them on the cooling rack. Run a knife along the inside of the loaf pans to ensure that the bread does not stick when they are removed. 

Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Sliced bread on a plate with some butter on top.

This cinnamon swirl bread is truly amazing and will not last long. My kids hover around the loaves, waiting for them to cool down so that I can cut them slice.

While the bread is incredible all on its own, it is also great toasted with butter. If you want to try something extra special, use this cinnamon bread to make some French Toast with Raspberry Sauce. Wow!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Sliced bread on a plate with some butter on top.
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Easy instructions for how to bake cinnamon swirl bread. This recipe makes 2 loaves of fresh sweet cinnamon bread that is great with butter, toasted or used as french toast! Just like a bakery made right at home!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Proofing Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water warm (95-105F)
  • 1 cup milk warm (95-105F)
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter melted
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 5 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Cinnamon Swirl Filling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter melted

Extra Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil for greasing the bowl
  • 2 tbsp softened butter for greasing the loaf pans
  • 2 tbsp melted butter for brushing on baked loaves

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, and salt with the warmed water, milk and melted butter. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Using electric mixer on low speed, with the dough hook attached, slowly add the flour and mix into the wet ingredients. This should develop into a wet dough that is not sticky.
  • Continue to run the mixer on low speed to knead the dough for about 3 minutes, or until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Turn off the mixer.
  • Grease a large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl and turn so all sides are lightly coated in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in a warm spot, and let rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
  • Punch down the dough and knead to work out all the large pockets of air. Split the dough into two equal portions.
  • Roll one portion of the dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle and brush with melted butter. In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp cinnamon together. Evenly sprinkle half of the sugar mixture across the dough. Starting at the edge of the long side of the dough, carefully roll the dough into a 10 inch log. Place, seam side down, in a loaf pan greased with the softened butter. Do the same with the second portion of dough.
  • Cover both loaf pans with plastic wrap, place in a warm location, and let rise for 60 minutes.
  • Bake in a 350F oven for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 195 when checked with a digital thermometer. Take out of the oven and brush with melted butter.
  • After 5 minutes, remove the cinnamon bread from the loaf pans and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Instant Yeast Option
It is possible to make this bread using instant yeast. For this, put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix the yeast all through the flour. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour in the warm milk, water and melted butter.
Continue from step 4 in the instructions above.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 361mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10g

Nutrition Disclaimer

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Sliced bread on a plate in front of two loaves on a wire rack.

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