Description
This easy cinnamon swirl bread recipe yields a soft, fluffy loaf with a gooey, sweet cinnamon-sugar swirl. Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert, it’s a comforting homemade treat that even beginner bakers can master.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Dough:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240ml) milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- For the Cinnamon Swirl Filling:
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- Optional Glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add melted butter and egg. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt. Gradually mix into wet ingredients to form a shaggy dough.
- Knead on a floured surface 5–7 minutes or use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add flour as needed until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Mix brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Once risen, punch down the dough and roll into a 9×13 inch rectangle.
- Spread softened butter, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly, then tightly roll into a log. Pinch seam to seal and stretch to even out.
- Slice into 12 equal pieces and arrange cut-side up in a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy and slices fill the pan.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled bread if desired.
Notes
Add-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit are great variations. Bread is perfect toasted, made into French toast, or simply enjoyed warm with butter. Store at room temp for up to 3 days or freeze for later.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus rising)
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: cinnamon swirl bread, easy cinnamon bread, homemade cinnamon loaf, sweet bread recipe, weekend baking