This cinnamon swirl bread recipe is soft, loaded with cinnamon, and makes the best toast. My tip for achieving perfect swirls will revolutionize your bread-making game.
If you like this bread, you'll love my pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread, Amish white bread, and quick-rise cinnamon rolls!
I love making quick breads, but there is something about a good yeast bread that can't be beat. This soft cinnamon swirl bread is one of my favorite breads to make. We always make 2 loaves and eat one straight from the oven. This swirly soft cinnamon bread recipe is worth every extra step, and honestly, it's pretty simple to make.
Why I Like This Recipe
- Basic ingredients. I make this recipe with items that I'm sure you already have on hand. No need for milk or eggs either. This bread is made with water and is soft, delicious, and light.
- Full of cinnamon flavor. The cinnamon swirls bake right into the dough, giving you cinnamon flavor in every bite.
- Makes a wonderful gift. My aunt would give us a loaf of this bread for Christmas every year. Now her children are grown and do the same, as well as some of her nieces ---such as myself! It's a straightforward recipe, but always a showstopper.
What Others Are Saying
This has become my go-to recipe, as have some of the other bread recipes from Gluesticks! So good! Thank you!!---Caitlin on Pinterest
I have made this recipe so many times now. My family is obsessed! I love it because it is easier and faster than making homemade cinnamon rolls! And I love that it makes two loaves! I always freeze one...well I try! The boys don't let it stay in there too long. haha! Thank you for a wonderful and easy recipe to follow! It is one of our favorites!
I actually have them in the oven now and yes, my house smells amazing! 🙂---Lupe
Thanks so much! The first two loaves turned out wonderful !! Making 4 more loaves tonight :):)---Kendra
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Tips and Tricks
- Use water for perfect cinnamon swirls. Many people brush butter onto the dough, then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, but when the loaf bakes up, the swirls come apart. The trick is to use water. Yes, water! Spritz the dough with water before sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar. Then spritz once more before rolling the dough up into a loaf shape. The swirls and layers stay together, making it a breeze to slice the bread! Just use a small amount of water in a spray bottle to spritz the dough, it really is that easy.
- Bread-making tip: if you don't have a stand mixer. Stand mixers make mixing and kneading a breeze, but not everyone has one. I like mixing my dough by hand using my Danish dough whisk. If you're a die-hard wooden spoon fan, I challenge you to try a dough whisk. Works like a dream to mix the dough, and then you can knead it by hand.
- Letting the dough rise: The dough will rise faster in a warm spot. I preheat my oven for 1 minute, then shut the heat off. It makes the oven just warm enough for the dough to rise.
Ingredients
- Water: Many bread recipes call for milk. I often use milk in roll recipes, such as my Texas roadhouse rolls, which I want to be soft and rich. However, for bread, I typically use water.
- Yeast: You can use instant yeast or active-dry yeast. I prefer instant yeast, but proof the yeast no matter what type I use.
- Sugar: Sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the bread. You can just reduce it by half if you'd like, or use honey, but don't omit it altogether.
- Salt: For flavoring.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil works well.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour.
- Cinnamon and sugar: A mixture of cinnamon and sugar is the base for the delicious swirls in the dough.
- Spray bottle with water: This is my secret weapon for achieving perfect swirls.
- Butter: Just a small amount to brush over the loaves as they come out of the oven.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Step 1: Mix water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit 5 minutes or until the yeast looks foamy.
Step 2: Add remaining dough ingredients and mix in a stand mixer or with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed and a soft dough forms.
Step 3: Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes by hand, 3 minutes if using a bread hook on your stand mixer).
Step 4: Add 1 Tbsp. oil to bowl, place dough into the bowl, and coat dough on both sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warmed oven. Let rise for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step 5: Once your dough has doubled in size, dump it onto your workspace. Divide into two sections.
Step 6: Roll each section into a 9x13 rectangle. Lightly spritz dough with water. Sprinkle with 4T cinnamon sugar mixture. Then spritz sugar with a little more water from the spray bottle. This will help the sugar and cinnamon mixture stick to the dough.
Step 7: Roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch ends tightly to close, as well as the seam.
Step 8: Place into greased bread pans, seam side down. Let rise for 40 minutes.
Step 9: Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes. Let the fresh-baked bread stand in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and let sit on a cooling rack. Rub the top of each loaf with softened butter.
Cinnamon Bread FAQs
I always use bread flour or all-purpose, whichever one I have on hand. My favorite brand is King Arthur. You can use all white flour or a mixture of white and wheat flour. I have not used this recipe for 100% whole wheat bread, but I'm sure you could.
A warm place is a perfect place for yeast to do its thing. I preheat my oven for 60 seconds then shut the heat off. I place my bowl of dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap (that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) covering it inside my oven.
Many people brush butter onto the dough, then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, but when the loaf bakes up, the swirls come apart. The trick is to use water. Yes, water! Spritz the dough with water before sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar. Then spritz once more before rolling the dough up into a loaf shape. The swirls and layers stay together, and it makes slicing the bread a breeze!
More Yeast Breads To Make
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Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cup warm water
- 4 ½ teaspoon yeast 2 packets
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 5 ½ cup bread flour
Extra ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- ½ cup sugar + 2 T. cinnamon mixed in a small bowl
- spray bottle with water
- butter for brushing on baked loaves
Instructions
- Mix water and yeast and sugar. Allow to sit 5 minutes or until yeast looks foamy.
- Add remaining dough ingredients and mix in stand mixer or wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to bowl and coat dough on both sides.
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let raise in warmed oven.
- Let raise for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, dump it onto your work space.
- Divide into two sections.
- Roll each section into a 9x13 rectangle. Lightly spritz dough with water.
- Sprinkle with 4T cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Then spritz sugar with a little more water from the spray bottle. (This will help the sugar and cinnamon mixture stick to the dough.)
- Roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch ends tightly to close, as well as the seam.
- Place into greased bread pans, seam side down.
- Return to warm oven and let raise for 40 minutes.
- Take loaves out of the warm oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- Let the fresh baked cinnamon bread stand in the pans for 5 minutes.
- Remove from pans and let sit on a cooling rack.
Kendra says
Hello! Quick question 🙂 I have made many many loves of this these past few weeks as gifts and it's been great every time but tonight it's just not rising. I did put the dough in the fridge for a little bit but then took it out and set it in a low warm oven to rise and after a long time it rose very little. Do you think it may have been from putting it in the fridge or maybe my water was to hot when I added the yeast although I heat my water the same amount of time everytime.. I'm not sure what happened 🤷♀️
Brandy says
Hi Kendra! That's strange. It could be any number of things (like you mentioned, water, etc.). Refrigerating the dough slows down the process quite a bit and it'll take a bit for it to come to room temperature and start rising again. Hopefully, that's all it was.
Kendra says
How long does this bread stay fresh? I was wanting to make it now and wanted to give one loaf as a gift at church on Sunday
Brandy says
Hi Kendra! It should be fine! I think it's best eaten within 2 days.
Kendra says
I'm sorry one more question:) could the canola oil be switched out for butter?
Brandy says
Melted butter would work!
Kendra says
Perfect! Thanks so much! The first two loaves turned out wonderful !! Making 4 more loaves tonight :):)
Brandy says
Oh, awesome! I’m glad it worked out for you!
Irene says
Can I use all purpose flour instead of the bread flour if I don’t have bread flour on hand? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Brandy says
Absolutely!
Lupe Marsden says
I have made this recipe so many times now. My family is obsessed! I love it because it is easier and faster than making homemade cinnamon rolls! And I love that it makes two loaves! I always freeze one...well I try! The boys don't let it stay in there too long. haha! Thank you for a wonderful and easy recipe to follow! It is one of our favorites!
I actually have them in the oven now and yes, my house smells amazing! 🙂
Brandy says
I love hearing this! 🙂
Hannah says
Can this be made without a loaf pan? Just roll and leave the seam under the loaf?
Brandy says
Hi Hannah! I haven't tried making it like that before, but would imagine it would still be delicious! Like a loaf of French bread 🙂
Cinnamon Zone says
Thank you for sharing the instructions with images. I love the swirl effect when you cut through the bread. The bread must smell and taste great hot out of the oven.
Char says
I love cinnamon swirl bread but I don't make it very often.
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