Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Bread has a pillowy soft interior, with a beautiful swirl of cinnamon and sugar throughout the bread. Make-by-hand, stand mixer, and overnight instructions included.
Cinnamon swirl bread is the adult version of cinnamon sugar toast. We have fond memories of sprinkling a hefty amount of cinnamon and sugar over buttered toast as kids. It was a breakfast favorite. Today, we have graduated our cinnamon sugar toast to a much more elegant cinnamon swirl bread. Rather than sprinkle it on top, the cinnamon sugar is baked throughout the bread in a beautiful swirl pattern. This is still amazing as toast with a pat of butter, or as the base of a very fancy french toast!
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Make by Hand Instructions:
You do not need a stand mixer to make cinnamon swirl bread, and it is quite simple to make by hand. Simply mix your ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. If it becomes too difficult to mix with the spoon, you can switch to mixing with your hands. Knead by hand for approximately 5 minutes.
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Serving Suggestions for Cinnamon Swirl Bread:
There is nothing better than freshly toasted cinnamon swirl bread with a pat of butter on top. For a truly decadent experience, use this bread to make french toast!
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Dairy Free Options:
We’ve found that the best dairy free milk alternatives are higher in fat, such as oat milk or soy milk, and always unflavored. The best butter alternative in baking are plant based butter sticks. Margarine or other tub-style butters do not bake as well. You should be able to find plant based butter sticks in your local grocery store next to the dairy butter, or in their own vegan and vegetarian section.
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All Purpose Flour vs. Bread Flour:
We prefer to make our bread recipes suited to all purpose flour, because it is the most accessible flour, and likely to already have in the pantry. However, if you prefer baking with bread flour, you can always substitute that in 1:1.
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Cinnamon Raisin Bread Instructions:
Do you love cinnamon raisin bread? Simply add 1/2 cup raisins to your cinnamon sugar blend and sprinkle over your rolled out and buttered dough.
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Make Ahead (Overnight) Instructions:
Sometimes breads with long rise times just cannot fit into our day. To make it a bit more simple, mix your dough in the evening and let it do its first rise in the fridge. You will want to cover your dough with tight fitting plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. In the morning, take it out of the fridge and let it rest and warm up for about 30 minutes. Then, divide your dough into two equal pieces and continue on with Step 4 of the recipe.
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Storage Instructions:
Store your cooled bread in an airtight container such as a zip-top bag or a bread box. It should last for 2-3 days before drying out. Freeze any leftovers that you don’t anticipate finishing in 2-3 days
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Freezer Instructions:
You have two options when it comes to freezing this recipe:
Freeze the dough itself before baking: Follow the written instructions through the beginning of Step 4. After your first rise you will want to divide the dough into two even pieces. Wrap your two dough balls in several layers of plastic wrap, and then place inside a freezer safe plastic bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then proceed with the rest of Step 4.
Freeze the bread after baking: Wrap your loaf of bread in several layers of plastic wrap and place it into a large freezer safe bag. Your bread should last in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw either in the refrigerator or on the counter.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious bread recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Bread
- 2 1/4 cup milk , 1%, 2%, or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
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In a microwave safe bowl or cup, warm the milk until it is warm to the touch, 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk, sugar, yeast, salt, melted butter, and 5 cups of flour. Knead on a low setting for 1 minute until combined, Slowly increase speed and add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough forms a smooth and elastic ball that is soft and tacky, but not sticky.
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Put the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 90 minutes until double in size.
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After 90 minutes, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll or press each piece into a 9-inch by 15-inch rectangle. Use a butter knife to spread 2 tablespoons of butter onto each, leaving a 1/2-inch gap at the top to seal the dough.
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In a small mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon for your filling. Sprinkle in an even layer over the butter. Roll each lengthwise into a tight roll and pinch the ends shut.
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Transfer each loaf into a lightly greased 9-inch by 5-inch bread loaf pan. Cover and let rise for an additional 60 minutes until double in size.
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Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
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Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and letting it cool completely.