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slices of cinnamon bread

Mom's Famous Cinnamon Bread

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Servings: 40
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Calories: 201kcal
Soft and swirled with cinnamon sugar, this is the bread my mom always made during the holidays. The house never quite feels like Christmas without a loaf of cinnamon bread on the counter! This recipe makes 4 loaves, perfect for gifting.

Ingredients

  • 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.
    cinnamon bread dough before rising
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (like PAM), and add the dough. Cover with a cloth and let rise to double.**
    dough doubled in size after the first rise
  • 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)
    dough rolled out and covered with butter and cinnamon sugar
  • 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.
    dough in bread pan before first rise
  • Cover the pans with a cloth and let the dough rise to double.** The dough should fill the bread pans before baking.
    cinnamon bread 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!
    cinnamon bread loaf

Notes

*The water should be slightly warm, not hot to the touch. About 100°-110° F if using a food thermometer.
**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.
***When my mom makes this recipe, she uses this same amount of dough for 3 loaves instead of 4, for super tall loaves. It can sometimes be tricky to get that large of loaves to cook through the center, and for that reason I normally stick with 4 loaves. However, If you decide to make 3 large loaves, make sure to bake them for 35 minutes, and cover with tin foil when they are browning on top.

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
Rise Time: 2 hours
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Author: All You Can Eats
Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Keywords: cinnamon bread, cinnamon swirl bread, easy bread recipe