This cinnamon swirl bread is one of my favorite things to make during the Christmas season. It’s festive yet simple, fills the house with the best smell, and makes the perfect homemade gift. This recipe makes four loaves, which means there’s plenty to share—one to keep and a few to wrap up and give to neighbors, friends, or family!
One of my favorite Christmas memories was making this cinnamon bread with my mom--every year, we'd spend an entire weekend making dozens of loaves for friends and family. The smell of this bread baking in the oven always makes it feel like the Christmas season has begun!
Ingredient Notes
- Instant dry yeast: I prefer to use instant yeast because it usually gives the quickest rise. However, if you only have active dry yeast on hand, that will work as well.
- Bread flour: This bread turns out very soft--so using bread flour helps to maintain its structure. I avoid using all purpose flour in this recipe because it can make the bread too soft and won't hold together as well.
- Salted butter: Salted butter adds the best flavor in both the filling and on top of the bread. Just to keep things simple, I use salted butter in the dough as well. While some people avoid using salted butter in baked goods (in order to control the salt content), the amount of butter in the dough is small, so the added salt doesn't have much of an impact.
- Ground cinnamon: Saigon cinnamon has the strongest, richest flavor--so use it if available.
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Bread
First, measure out the warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Add a pinch of granulated sugar and stir in the instant yeast (the sugar will help activate the yeast). Let it sit for about 10 minutes until bubbling.
While the yeast activates, add the bread flour, sugar, butter, and salt to a Bosch mixer or standing mixer (with dough hook attachment) and mix for about 2-3 minutes.
Once the yeast has activated, add the water-yeast mixture to the Bosch or standing mixer and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Check the dough halfway through. If it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, finish kneading. If still very sticky, add some extra flour (no more than ½ cup). It should still slightly stick to your hands, but not so much that you can't work the dough.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (like PAM), and add the dough. Cover with a cloth and let rise to double. Use a kitchen scale to divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll out each section of dough into a 9x13 rectangle (or about ½ inch thick) using a rolling pin. Thinly spread the butter on each of the four rolled out rectangles of dough.
Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then spread it evenly over the top of the butter. Rubbing in the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the butter before rolling will help keep it neatly in the bread roll when moving to the pan.
Spray four metal bread pans with cooking spray (PAM). Tightly roll each rectangle of dough into a jelly roll, and place them in the bread pans with the seam facing down. Cover the pans with a cloth and let the loaves rise to double. The dough should fill the bread pans before baking.
Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Once preheated, bake two loaves at a time for about 30 minutes. (The bread should reach an internal temperature of 190° F in the center of the bread. You can use a food thermometer and insert it into the center of the swirl.) Check the bread after 20 minutes, and if browning too fast, lightly cover with tin foil for the rest of baking time.
When done baking, immediately remove the bread from the pans and onto a cooling rack. Coat the top of the loaves with butter, then allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use active dry yeast, but keep in mind that the dough will take a little longer to rise than it would have with instant yeast.
The easiest trick for a quick rise is to turn your oven on to its lowest setting (usually around 170-175° F) for one minute. Turn the oven OFF, and place the covered bowl of dough inside the oven while it rises. This is the easiest way to control the temperature without having to heat your entire house. A warmer temperature will help the dough to rise much faster.
This cinnamon swirl bread should reach an internal temperature of 195° F. Insert a food thermometer into the center of the bread's swirl to get an accurate reading.
Other Bread Recipes
If you're looking for other great bread recipes, here are a few other popular ones on my website:
Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzhong Method)
If you try out this cinnamon bread recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.
Now get baking, and enjoy!
Mom's Famous Cinnamon Bread
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 4 cup warm water*
- 3 tablespoon instant dry yeast
- 10 cup bread flour
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
Cinnamon Swirl Filling
- ¼ cup salted butter softened, plus extra for top of bread after baking
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I like to use saigon cinnamon for best flavor)
Instructions
- Measure out the warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Add a pinch of granulated sugar and stir in the instant yeast (the sugar will help activate the yeast). Let it sit for about 10 minutes until bubbling.4 cup warm water*, 3 tablespoon instant dry yeast
- While the yeast activates, add the bread flour, sugar, butter, and salt to the bosch or standing mixer (with dough hook attachment) and mix for about 2-3 minutes.10 cup bread flour, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup salted butter, 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- Once the yeast has activated, add the water-yeast mixture to the bosch or standing mixer and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes.
- Check the dough halfway through. If it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, finish kneading. If still very sticky, add some extra flour (no more than ½ cup). It should still slightly stick to your hands, but not so much that you can't work the dough.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (like PAM), and add the dough. Cover with a cloth and let rise to double.**
- Use a kitchen scale to divide the dough into four*** equal parts. Roll out each ball of dough into a 9x13 rectangle (or about ½ inch thick) using a rolling pin. Thinly spread the butter on each of the four rolled out rectangles of dough.¼ cup salted butter
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then spread it evenly over the top of the butter.¾ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I like to use saigon cinnamon for best flavor)
- Oil four*** metal bread pans with cooking spray (PAM).
- Tightly roll each rectangle of dough into a jelly roll, and place them in the bread pans with the seam facing down. Note: Rubbing in the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the butter before rolling helps keep it neatly in the bread roll when moving to the pan.
- Cover the pans with a cloth and let the dough rise to double.** The dough should fill the bread pans before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Once preheated, bake two loaves at a time for about 30 minutes. (The bread should reach an internal temperature of 190° F in the center of the bread.)Check the bread after 20 minutes, and if browning too fast, lightly cover with tin foil for the rest of baking time.
- When done baking, immediately remove the bread from the pans and onto a cooling rack. Coat the top of the loaves with butter, then allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.Enjoy!
Notes
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- large liquid measuring cup
- Bosch or standing mixer with dough hook attachment
- large bowl
- cooking spray
- kitchen scale
- Rolling Pin
- 4 metal bread pans
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