Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Posted Dec 02, 2022, Updated Sep 13, 2024
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This homemade cinnamon swirl bread is soft and tender with a thick cinnamon swirl throughout. Infused with vanilla and cinnamon, it tastes like our famous cinnamon rolls, but in bread form!
This homemade cinnamon swirl bread is truly the best. It is soft with a beautiful crumb and infused with vanilla and cinnamon.
The gooey cinnamon swirl, present in every bite, will leave you wanting more. Toast it and slather it with butter (or homemade cinnamon honey butter) for a delicious breakfast. Or use it to make the best French Toast!
This cinnamon bread tastes like our famous cinnamon rolls, but it’s even easier to make. You can double or triple the recipe to make multiple loaves to give as gifts during the holidays.
Cinnamon Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes for whole milk.
- Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar work well in this recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
- All-purpose flour. I have used bread flour with excellent results.
- Brown sugar. light or dark brown sugar both work well in this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon. Since cinnamon is the star of the show, make sure to use a high-quality variety.
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Let’s walk through the process of making cinnamon bread step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the Cinnamon Bread Dough
Begin by proofing the yeast. Combine the warm water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl, and let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).
Once the yeast has proofed (is foamy), add the milk, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Add 2 cups of flour, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until incorporated. Then add more flour ¼ cup at a time until a smooth but slightly tacky dough ball forms.
Next, form the dough into a ball and place it into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
Make the Cinnamon Swirl
While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon swirl mixture. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Then melt the butter and set it aside (It will be brushed on the dough later).
Alternately, you can combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Set aside.
Assemble
After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface.
Then, roll the dough into an 18x 9” rectangle about ¼” thick. Use your loaf pan to measure the 9” side, it needs to fit into the pan when rolled.
Next, brush the melted butter over the dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of it. Or, if you combined all 3 ingredients initially, spread that mixture evenly over the dough.
Next, starting at one end of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly widthwise (so the roll is 9” long not 18” long). Then transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan seam down.
Then, cover the pan with a damp towel and let rise while you preheat the oven.
Once the oven is preheated and the dough has puffed slightly, bake the cinnamon swirl bread for 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the loaf sounds hollow when hit with a wooden spoon.
Check the bread after 20 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown.
Once the bread is finished baking, remove it from the oven. Cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack. Then, run a metal spatula or knife around the edges to release the bread from the pan, and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
Let the cinnamon read cool completely before cutting and serving.
Serve
Serve the cinnamon swirl bread warm or toasted with a pat of butter, homemade cinnamon honey butter, pumpkin butter, or apple butter. You can also use it to make this french toast recipe – yum!
Store/Freeze
Store leftover cinnamon bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also wrap loaves in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container (or ziplock bag) in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature.
Cinnamon Bread Recipe FAQs
It doesn’t keep it from rising at all, but it does cause it to rise a little less than other dough/breads without cinnamon. Be sure to follow the recipe, and don’t use too much cinnamon or it could prevent rising.
The sugar and butter in the filling melt and leave spaces in the bread. This is normal.
Yes, you can double or triple this recipe to make multiple loaves, if desired.
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Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Bread
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten & room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Filling:
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl (if mixing by hand) combine warm water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast and let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).
- Add milk, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Add 2 cups of flour, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until incorporated. Then add more flour ¼ cup at a time until a smooth but slightly tacky dough ball forms.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).*
Make the Cinnamon Swirl Mixture
- While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon swirl. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Then melt the butter and set aside (It will be brushed on the dough later).
- Alternately, you can combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Set aside.
Assemble
- Line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Set aside.
- After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface.
- Roll the dough into an 18x 9” rectangle about ¼” thick. Use your loaf pan to measure the 9” side, it needs to fit into the pan when rolled.
- Brush the melted butter over the dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of it. (Or, if you combined all 3 ingredients initially, spread that mixture evenly over the dough).
- Staring at one end of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly widthwise (so the roll is 9” long not 18” long). Then transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan seam down.
Bake & Cool
- Cover the pan with a damp towel and let rise while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the loaf sounds hollow when hit with a wooden spoon.
- Check the bread after 20 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown.
- Remove the cinnamon swirl bread from the oven. Cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack. Then, run a metal spatula or knife around the edges to release the bread from the pan, and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Video
Notes
- Whole milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes for whole milk.
- Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar work well in this recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
- All-purpose flour. I have used bread flour with excellent results.
- Brown sugar. light or dark brown sugar both work well in this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon. Since cinnamon is the star of the show, make sure to use a high-quality variety.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make this in a 8×4 pan? I bought the wrong size pan. If so, how?
An 8×4″ pan might be a tad too small for this recipe! I suggest using a 9×5″ loaf pan. If you do try using the 8×4″ pan, you will need to bake it a little longer than the recipe states.
Could I use almond milk instead of whole milk or half and half?
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
I made this recipe yesterday and it was delicious. I am newer to making bread with yeast and tried another cinnamon swirl bread previously, however, your recipe was amazing. I think I could have done a better job rolling the dough tighter but it was still very good. I cut the loaf into slices and placed in the freezer and toasted one up this morning. This is my favorite yeast bread recipe! Thank you for posting.
Can this recipe be made in a bread machine? If so how would I do that? My son loves this recipe, but working full time and I got a bread machine to help..we usually make homemade bread..thank you, Gina