Homemade cinnamon swirl bread is soft, sightly sweet, and filled with a delicious cinnamon sugar swirl. This easy recipe makes a perfect loaf for breakfast, snacking, or even French toast.
A favorite loaf gets an update
I've been baking this recipe for cinnamon swirl bread since I first started baking bread back in middle school. I fell in love with baking bread and made as many different types as I could.
Even though I'm an experienced baker, I'm always looking for ways to improve. This cinnamon swirl bread just got a makeover and it's better than ever.
First, I took my original recipe and paired it down to just one loaf. I'm finding many times, two leave is just too much and I don't want to waste any of this delicious bread. If you want to make two loaves, just double the recipe. However, you can still use the same amount of yeast. No need to double the yeast.
Second, I decided I wanted more swirls. I love getting a bit of cinnamon and sugar in every bite. In order to get more swirls, I rolled out the bread into a much larger rectangle. Swirl perfection!
Finally, I switched up the way I applied the cinnamon and sugar. Or rather, what I applied to make the cinnamon and sugar stick. I've always used butter, but after reading a recipe in King Arthur Baking, I decided to try another method.
Egg white or butter?
King Arthur recommended using a beaten egg instead of butter. The egg binds better with the dough and helps prevent gaps. Instead of a whole egg, I used just an egg white.
The results: almost no gap at all in the loaf with the egg white. Either way is delicious and if you want to use butter, you'll still have a delicious loaf.
Ingredients for cinnamon swirl bread
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour. When measuring flour, use a fluff and scoop technique to make certain the flour isn't compacted.
- Yeast - Use active dry yeast for this recipe. You can buy packets or bulk yeast. You'll need one packet or 2 ¼ teaspoons of bulk.
- Milk - I prefer to use whole milk or 2% milk. The milk adds flavor and helps develop the crumb. Heat the milk between 100-120°F.
- Butter - This recipe uses salted butter. Make certain the butter is very soft or melted.
- Egg White - Used for brushing on the dough before adding the cinnamon and sugar. The egg white helps the cinnamon and sugar adhere to the dough.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon is the star of the show!
Steps to make swirled cinnamon bread
- Warm milk to 100-120°F. Place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar on top. Stir to combine.
- Let the yeast set for 5-10 minutes to activate. The yeast will become very bubbly and foamy.
- Add one cup of flour and stir together.
- Add butter, salt, and another cup of flour.
- Slowly add the remaining flour in small amounts. You may not need all of the flour. You want the dough tacky, but not sticky.
- Knead dough with the dough hook in your stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Your dough will become soft, pillowy, and slightly elastic.
- Form dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover and let rest until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ - 2 hours.
- Roll out dough to a large rectangle, 8x20 inches.
- Brush with egg white and then cinnamon and sugar.
- Roll dough up into a log.
- Pinch seams to seal and pinch ends to seal.
- Please in a greased loaf pan with the seam side down.
- Cover and let rise.
- Just before baking, brush with butter.
Tips for making a perfect loaf
- Proof the Yeast - Make sure your yeast is active by proofing it in warm milk with sugar. The liquid should be between 100-120°F. After about 5-10 minutes, it should be foamy—if not, your yeast may be expired or the liquid was not the correct temperature.
- Let the Dough Rise Properly - Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free environment until it doubles in size. This usually takes 60-90 minutes but can vary depending on temperature. A well-risen dough will create a soft and fluffy bread.
- Seal the Edges Well - After rolling up the dough, pinch the seam, and then tuck the ends in and pinch them closed before placing it in the pan. Place seam side down.
- Let It Cool Before Slicing - Cooling the bread for at least 30 minutes allows the structure to set, making it easier to slice without squishing the soft interior or causing the swirl to pull apart.
Eat this bread sliced with butter, toasted with butter and additional cinnamon sugar, or make into cinnamon French toast.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my homemade bread recipes!
Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup milk (warmed (100-120°F))
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups flour
Filling
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg white
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
Instructions
- Pour milk, yeast, and sugar into a bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine.1 cup milk, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar
- Let stand for 5 minutes until yeast is bubbly.
- Mix in one cup of flour.3 cups flour
- Add butter, salt, and another cup of flour. Mix¼ cup butter, 1 teaspoon salt
- Continue adding flour ½ cup at a time until a soft dough is formed. You might not need all the flour. You want the dough to be tacky, but not sticky.
- Knead with mixer for 5 minutes.
- Form into a round and then place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let rise until doubled - 1 - 1 ½ hours
- Deflate dough by pushing down in the center.
- Roll into a rectangular shape about 8 X 20 inches long.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until slightly foamy.2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg white
- Brush rolled dough with egg white and then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Roll dough into a log, pinch seams together. And pinch ends together.
- Place in a greased bread pan.
- Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Just before baking, brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 40-45 minutes until the loaf is fully baked through. Cover loosely with a piece of foil for the last 15-20 minutes if your loaf is browning too quickly.2 tablespoons butter
- Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan.
- Continue cooling on rack before slicing.
Notes
- If you'd like two loaves of bread, this recipe can be doubled. However, you do not need to double the amount of yeast. 2 ¼ teaspoons also works for two loaves.
- Make certain your yeast is proofed or activated before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- You may not need all the flour. Add just enough to form the dough into a ball. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky.
- Make certain the oven is fully preheated to 350°F before baking.
- If your loaf is becoming too dark, place a piece of foil over the top of the loaf during the last 15-20 minutes. Don't seal the foil, just place loosely.
- The bread is fully baked when the center of the bread reaches 190°F. You can also test by tapping on the top of the loaf. It should have a hollow sound.
- Try to let the loaf fully cool before slicing. If it's too warm the bread will be gummy in the center.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe, post, and images have all been updated. 2/13/25
GiGi Eats says
OMG you perfected the crap out of this bread and it looks ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!
Kathy says
Thanks!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
Haha! I would love to hear your hair story! I only took one semester of Home Ec. We didn't learn anything useful like making this cinnamon bread or how to bake! We had to sew aprons then we did some business with blueberry muffins and my friend Kim and I ended up eating the blueberries in the storage closet when we were tasked with something. I may have learned more if I had been behaving! 🙂
Dawn says
Ooooh, I love cinnamon bread!! This recipe looks great! I would eat this right up straight out of the oven....I wouldn't even want to wait for it to cool, lol 🙂
Kathy says
Waiting is the hardest part!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Oh my goodness - I remember the cinnamon toast from Home Ec., too!! You've come a long way, baby!! This bread looks and I can imagine smells divine!
Kathy says
Gosh...maybe we had the same teacher. Either that or making cinnamon toast was the standard!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love making Cinnamon Swirl Bread! Can't wait to try this version 🙂 It's gorgeous!
Kathy says
Thanks, Megan!
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
When I was in grade school we didn't have home ec - we had SEWING. Which was nowhere near as fun - I think that's why I love my kitchen so much today, because I am making up for lost time! When I could have been making delectable cinnamon swirl bread!!
Kathy says
I never took sewing, although it was offered. My sewing skills are really basic.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Loved reading about your childhood Kathy! And the cinnamon swirl bread looks fantastic. I can smell the awesome aroma coming out from your kitchen! 🙂
Kathy says
The smell of baking bread is my favorite.
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
WOW! Kathy, I am seriously impressed. What a masterpiece! It's almost too pretty to eat! I LOVE this!
Kathy says
Thanks!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Oh no, your hair got caught in the belt sander!!! I love that you were so adventurous. I remember learning in Home Ec class to put the top back on the milk jug after pouring from it. I kid you not. Maybe our teachers were related. This bread is absolutely gorgeous and I would love to make cinnamon toast or french toast out of it. Seriously! It is perfection.
Kathy says
So funny! The sad thing is some people may have needed to learn how to measure water and put the lid back on the milk jug!
geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
I love cinnamon swirl bread, Kathy - so yummy and the smell is so wonderful. I wonder what they call Home Ec now? We didn't do any baking but I made a great big stuffed hippo pillow! And yikes - your poor hair!
Kathy says
A purple hippo! Lovely!!! My hair survived without any damage. They unplugged the machine and used a screw driver to lift off the fan cover. They just had to then untwist my hair. I just remembering I was super embarrassed!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
I can only imagine how this would smell wafting through ones house! Swoon. Home ec. Haha. I don't even think they offer it that much anymore. Have to say, that was not my forte!!
Kathy says
The smell is amazing!
Manali @ CookWithManali says
this is one of my favorite breads, looks super delicious Kathy!
Kathy says
It is indeed super delicious!
mira says
This is a gorgeous bread and I need to try it very soon! Love cinnamon!
Kathy says
I love just about anything with cinnamon.
David @ Spiced says
Cinnamon bread is absolutely one of my favorite breads, and I could totally get behind a loaf or two of this showing up in my kitchen. And it might be underwhelming, but I can get behind cinnamon sugar toast, too. That takes me back to my grade school days right there!
Kathy says
I still love cinnamon toast...I just want it to be the skill I learned in home ec.....I wanted the advanced stuff!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
My grandmother's favorite bread was cinnamon swirl bread. I used to make it for her at least every other week, so seeing this post brings back warm memories for me. Your bread looks perfect, Kathy! Swirly and delicious! I know my grandmother would have given this two thumbs very high up... and then devoured the whole loaf. 😉 Cheers, friend!
Kathy says
There's nothing better than approval from a Grandma! Thanks for the two thumbs up!!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Cinnamon toast is one of my favorite things for breakfast Kathy! Reminds me of my grandmother! She loved it with her tea! This looks easiest enough for me to try!
Fran @ G'day Souffle' says
How well I remember- the girls in Junior High had to take Home Economics and the boys had to take 'Shop'- there were no switching of roles. Your recipe looks delish- are there instructions to go with your recipe? (Maybe we can manage with out any instructions)!
Kathy says
Oops! Yes, somehow I left those off! Thanks for noticing! I've added them now so you can make the bread without guessing! 🙂
Adina says
This really looks so delicious! I am planning to bake a very similar Romanian sweet bread tomorrow, it looks actually quite the same, but is filled with walnuts. I can't wait now, I am already drooling! 🙂
Kathy says
I can't wait to check it out! Sounds delicious!