Cinnamon Bread

An incredibly tender, soft loaf with a swirl of brown sugar and cinnamon, this Cinnamon Bread is the perfect holiday gift or Christmas morning treat.

You know those foods that evoke memories and take you back years? This homemade cinnamon bread is one of those for me.

Every year, my mom would swirl loaf after loaf of this cinnamon bread and my siblings and I would traipse around the neighborhood delivering it to all of the neighbors. Then we would lug home the cans of pre-made popcorn they had given us in return. Although I liked the butter and tolerated the cheese (wouldn’t touch caramel with a ten foot pole), I really think they came out on the good end of that deal.

We weren’t allowed to touch the cinnamon bread until Christmas Eve. Then, we would breakfast on toasty slices, butter running between the swirls and dripping onto our fingers. The end pieces were the best—they held the most of the gooey, sweet cinnamon.

This loaf is incredibly soft and pillowy. As in makes me want to take a nap on it. I think I’d have really delicious dreams, full of a gooey sugar swirl. And we’re not talking about a thin little line of cinnamon going in a single spiral through the loaf. This is serious, with a double swirl packed with cinnamon and brown sugar. It’s like a cinnamon roll, only in loaf form and minus the frosting. Though you can (maybe should?) add that too.

How to Make Cinnamon Bread

Don’t be intimidated by the yeast or cinnamon sugar swirl here. This bread is really approachable–all you really need are pantry staples and a bit of time to allow the dough to rise. And voila, you have a beautiful loaf of homemade cinnamon bread.

• Heat the milk and butter together in a saucepan until butter has melted. Cool to 110°
• Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and butter, give it a quick stir, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast has dissolved and become a little foamy.
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour the milk and yeast into the dry ingredients and mix on low until the ingredients are combined. Turn the mixer up to medium and allow the dough to knead for 4-5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Oil a clean bowl and place the ball of dough into it. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to sit for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface. Preheat your oven to 350° and grease a 9″ loaf pan.
• Fill and shape your loaf (detail instructions down below!) and place it in the loaf pan for its final rise
• Allow it to rise until it has almost reached the top of the loaf pan, then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the dough is a deep golden brown and the inside reaches 200° on an instant read thermometer.
• Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes–don’t leave it to long, or any sugar that melted out will make your cinnamon bread stick. Then turn it out onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

How to Store Your Bread

First, make sure that the loaf is completely cool before attempting to wrap it up. I like to keep mine wrapped in foil or in a zippered plastic bag with all of the air removed. Slice as you need it, so that less of the loaf is exposed to the air and it will be slower to go stale. Store it in your pantry or on the counter.

You can also freeze this cinnamon bread up to two weeks before when you’re planning to use it. Just be sure to wrap it really well so it doesn’t get freezer burned!

How to Shape a Swirled Cinnamon Bread Loaf

The shape is actually very simple to make, but yields those perfect, beautiful swirls every time.

• After your dough has risen, use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 12″x18″ rectangle on a floured surface.
• Drizzle a few tablespoons of melted butter over it, and spread it out to cover the entire surface in a thin layer.
• Spread the brown sugar over the butter and sprinkle cinnamon generously over that.
• Roll the dough along the long edge into a fairly tight spiral. When you’ve finished, pinch the edge to the roll tightly. You’ll have a fairly long roll.
• Pinch each end of the roll firmly to seal it. This prevents the sugar from leaking out as it cooks and melts.
• Turn one end to the center of the roll to the left and the other end to the right, creating a tight “S” shape. Tuck the ends underneath so that they meet beneath the center of the roll.
• Place the loaf in a greased 9″ loaf pan, and it’s ready for it’s final rise and then baking!

Tools I Use in This Recipe:

Pyrex Loaf Pan
French Rolling Pin
Marble Pastry Slab
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

Other Recipes You May Like:

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from any links in the post Good Things Baking Co. will receive a small commission at no added cost to you. Thank you for being here, and helping support good recipe to make and eat!

Print