There is nothing quite the aroma of freshly baked bread at home! This beautiful cinnamon swirl bread is tall, soft, tender, and full of delicious cinnamon flavors.
It’s made with bread flour, active dry yeast and a cinnamon sugary filling. The swirls are so pretty, and the light crust is perfectly shiny and golden brown!
Whether it’s for the holidays or just because, you are going to love baking a loaf of this cinnamon swirl bread! It’s so rewarding.
I really love baking bread at home. It does take some time and patience, but the process can be very rewarding and relaxing. Plus, the aroma of freshly baked bread is just so comforting and cozy!
This cinnamon swirl bread is a must bake for me, especially now that it’s the holiday season. It always comes out soft, tender, and airy…and it rises beautifully thanks to the use of bread flour (more on this below!).
The cinnamon sugar filling provides just the right amount of sweetness in the filling, and it produces the most beautiful swirls.
This cinnamon swirl bread uses active dry yeast, just like these Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns. If you’re not familiar with bread baking, check out my full guide on working with yeast!
Looking for more holiday bakes? My No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread is always a favorite! Likewise, these gooey Apple Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for cozy weekend brunch at home. If you need festive baking recipes without yeast, check out my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread or Nutella Banana Bread!
Why I love making this cinnamon swirl bread:
- Smells incredible. Nothing better than the aroma of freshly baked bread. Your house will smell like a cozy bakery!
- Light, tall, fluffy and so soft! The trick to making a tall loaf of cinnamon bread is using bread flour.
- Simple ingredients. This bread is made with pantry staple ingredients and active dry yeast. There’s nothing complicated here.
- Not overly sweet. The cinnamon sugar filling is not too sweet, it’s just right. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like anything too indulgent.
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few pantry ingredients to make this recipe. Below, I included a few ingredient notes that I hope you find helpful. As always, quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
- Active dry yeast: Make sure it’s fresh and not expired, otherwise it won’t work.
- Whole milk: Warm, whole milk is used to help activate the yeast. It also provides richness to the bread. Also needed for the egg wash.
- Unsalted butter: Melted, great for flavor and to keep the bread rich and warm.
- Large eggs: Gives the bread structure and acts as a binder for the other ingredients. Also needed for to brush the interior of the dough, and for the egg wash.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness and texture. Don’t use brown sugar for the dough, as it can affect the overall texture.
- Bread flour: Bread flour is used instead of all purpose flour. The higher level of protein creates more gluten, which in turn yields a softer, fluffier, and taller loaf. It’s readily accessible at grocery stores.
- Salt: Bring out all the flavors in baked eggs.
- Light brown sugar and ground cinnamon for the filling
- Vegetable oil: This is just for greasing the bowl for the dough to rise.
Why Use Bread Flour
For this cinnamon swirl bread, I use bread flour rather than all-purpose flour because it contains more protein than its counterpart. In fact, whenever I bake yeast breads, I always prefer using bread flour.
Bread flour yields a much softer, lighter, and fluffier texture, and it always helps breads rise high, making every loaf look stunning.
If you can’t find bread flour, all-purpose can still be used, but the texture will vary. It may be less airy and soft, and won’t have that beautiful height.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
I get it, baking bread from scratch can be intimidating, but it’s actually quite fun! Here, I’ll show you the detailed step-by-step process for how to make cinnamon swirl bread.
Step 1 | Activate the yeast
Pour warm milk (110-115 degrees F) into a standing mixer bowl. Use an instant thermometer for accurate temperature reading. Then, add just 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir and let it stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. This means the yeast is ready. If not, start over with fresh yeast.
Step 2 | Make the dough and let it rise
Using the whisk attachment on medium speed, mix the yeast mixture, melted butter, granulated sugar, salt, and eggs until combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add 3 cups of bread flour, one cup at a time, mixing over medium-low. Add the last cup of flour in ¼ cup increments as needed until a dough forms.
Then, increase speed to medium-high and mix (aka “knead” since we’re using the dough attachment) for about 3 to 4 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky and moist. If it is not, continue adding flour in ¼ cup increments. I ended up using 4 ½ cups of flour.
Transfer to a floured surface, and continue kneading by hand for another 2 or 3 minutes. It’s ready when moist and manageable, and should spring back slowly when poked.
Form a ball then transfer to a greased bowl, making sure to coat all sides of the ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise 1.5 hours in a warm environment. The dough should double in size.
Step 3 | Make the filling and assemble
Once the dough has doubled in size, we’re ready to roll! Punch it down to remove any excess air.
Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a 9×18 inch rectangle. In a bowl, whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush it over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
Roll the bread: Start from the shorter side, and carefully roll tightly to form a 9-inch “log.” Pinch the dough together to seal. Transfer the dough to a greased aluminum loaf pan.
Step 4 | Let dough rise again and bake
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 1 to 1.5 hours in a warm environment. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the egg wash, then brush the top of the dough once it’s done rising. Bake for 35 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Don’t open the oven while baking, otherwise it may deflate. To prevent the cinnamon bread from browning too much, tent with foil at about 25 minutes into baking. If the bread seems to brown faster on one side, rotate it in the oven.
Step 5 | Let cool and slice
Once ready, remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then, remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Slice the cinnamon swirl bread and enjoy with butter or your favorite spread.
Creating a Warm Environment for the Dough
It is important for dough to rise in a warm and draft free environment. Below is a sure proof way to get your bread to rise!
Microwave some water in a mug for 2 minutes to get the microwave warm. Push it to the back, and then place the bowl with the dough inside. Immediately close the door to trap in as much heat and moisture. This environment is perfect for dough to rise: warm, moist, and draft-free!
More Bread Baking Recipes
Here are a few more delicious bread recipes on the blog! They are great for the holidays or whenever you have extra time on the weekends to bake.
You can also use the bread to make my Stuffed French Toast.
- Honey Butter Rolls (these are super soft!)
- Cranberry Walnut Bread
- Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe FAQs
I’d really recommend using bread flour, the results will be noticeably better. However, if needed, all-purpose flour is fine too, but the bread may not rise as tall and the texture may not be as light and fluffy.
Brush the dough with an egg and water mixture before sprinkling in the cinnamon sugar filling. Do not brush with melted butter. The egg and water mixture will serve as a “glue,” so the swirls won’t separate. You will get swirls!
There could be a few reasons. First, make sure the yeast is fresh and not expired. It is also important that the warm milk is not too hot or too hot, so use a thermometer to measure 110-115 degrees F. Also, make sure the dough rises in a warm, moist, and draft-free environment (see recipe card notes).
This post was originally published in 2020 and updated in December 2024 to include new photos and information. The original recipe remains the same.
Tips for Success
- Use bread flour rather than all-purpose flour for a lighter, softer and taller bread. Bread flour is readily available at grocery stores in the baking section.
- Dough consistency: After kneading, the dough should be moist but manageable, and just slightly sticky. It should spring back slowly when poked with a finger.
- Prevent separated swirls: Before sprinkling the cinnamon and sugar filling, brush the dough with an egg and water mixture. This will act as a binder. Do NOT brush with melted butter, otherwise the swirls will expand.
- Creating a warm environment for the dough to rise: Microwave a mug of water for 2 minutes. Push it to the back, and then place the bowl with the dough inside. Immediately close the door, and let it rise inside.
- Try not to open the oven while the bread is baking. This can interrupt the rising process and cause the bread to deflate.
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Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
- 1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast - equiv to 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 cup whole milk - warmed to 110-115 degrees F
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ to 4 ½ cups bread flour - plus more as needed
- Vegetable oil - for the dough, enough for greasing the bowl
- Unsalted butter - for greasing the baking pan
Cinnamon and sugar filling:
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg - beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Egg wash brushing the top:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Pour warm milk (110-115 degrees F) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir, and let it stand for about 10 minutes until frothy. This means that the yeast is good. If not, start over with new yeast.
- With the mixer on medium speed (use the whisk attachment), mix the yeast mixture, melted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, and salt until well-combined.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer. On medium speed, add 3 cups of bread flour, 1 cup at a time. Add the remaining flour in ¼ cup increments as needed, until a dough forms. Increase to medium-high speed and mix/knead for 3 to 4 minutes. If it’s sticking to the bowl too much, continue adding flour in ¼ cup increments. I ended up using 4 ¼ cups of flour. The dough should be moist, manageable, and slightly sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and knead by hand for another 3 minutes, sprinkling more flour as needed, until the dough is manageable and springs back slowly when poked.
- Form a ball with the dough, pinching the bottom, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl (vegetable oil is fine). Make sure to coat all sides of the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap tightly, and let it rise for about 1.5 hours or until doubled in size in a warm and draft-free environment (see note below on "creating a warm environment").
- Make the cinnamon and sugar filling: Whisk light brown sugar with ground cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Grease a 9×5 baking pan with butter. Set aside.
- After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove the air. Roll it out into a 9×18 inch rectangle. Brush with the egg and water mixture (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), leaving 1 inch borders. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly. Starting from the shorter side, roll the dough as tightly as you can to form a 9-inch log. Pinch to seal the dough. Tip: when rolling the dough, try not to apply too much pressure in the middle so that it’s uniformly rolled.
- Transfer the rolled dough to the greased baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours or until puffed up in a warm and draft-free environment.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- After the dough has risen, make the egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Gently brush the top of the puffed up dough with it. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. Tent with foil after about 25 minutes to prevent it from browning too much.
- Once ready, remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Bread flour is readily accessible at grocery stores, in the baking supplies aisle. I’d highly recommend using it over all-purpose flour. It will yield a softer and taller bread.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the milk – it’s important to activate the yeast properly.
- Brush rolled out with egg (whisked with water). This acts as a “glue” so that the swirls don’t separate while baking. Do NOT brush with butter or the swirls will separate.
- Creating a warm environment for the dough to rise: Microwave a mug of water for 2 minutes. Push it to the back, and then place the bowl with the dough inside. Immediately close the door, and let it rise inside.
- Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Wrap in plastic wrap then layer with aluminum foil. Place in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Add-ins: Raisins.
- Bread flour: You can use all-purpose flour, but the texture may be different.
- Yeast: Use active dry yeast. Do not use instant yeast – the rising and baking times are different.
David says
Bread was wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly and didn’t change anything. Thank you!
Luis Lopez says
I have used online recipes for years and this is the first time I found a reason to leave a review. My bread turned out to be one of the best I have ever seen, homemade or store-bought. The only change I made was to turn on the oven for a few seconds to make a warm place for the dough to rise.
Tania says
Thank you so much for the kind review, Luis! So happy to hear!