Posted Dec 02, 2022, Updated Sep 13, 2024 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. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
