Cinnamon Swirl Bread is the recipe you didn’t know you needed but will be so glad to have discovered! I was thumbing through a vintage bread book and came across this old-fashioned recipe. But of course, I made my own adjustments!
Breakfast Toast and French Toast
What I like about this version of Cinnamon Swirl Bread is that you can enjoy the bread warm out of the oven or save it to incorporate into your favorite everyday recipes. Your morning toast and coffee will definitely level up with a slice of Cinnamon Swirl Bread. But can you imagine French Toast? Yes, please!
A handy hint when making your Cinnamon Swirl Bread would be to weigh your dough when dividing into two loaves. If one loaf is larger than the other, your baking time will be different for each loaf. It also helps if you weigh and evenly divide your cinnamon swirl filling so that each loaf gets the same amount. Use a small kitchen scale to weigh your dough and filling. FYI switching to metric weighing by the grams much more accurate than our conventional weight measurements that we use here in the U.S.
For Cinnamon Lovers
Apologies to the cinnamon-raisin toast lovers out there, but this Cinnamon Swirl Bread is raisin-free. If you like, you can add ¼ cup (37g) of raisins to each loaf when you sprinkle over the cinnamon swirl filling (1/2 cup/74g total for 2 loaves.) You can add also add chopped nuts (about 1/2 cup/60g total for 2 loaves.) However, adding both raisins and nuts may change the texture and baking time of your bread loaves.
This bread is better suited for toasting in a toaster oven than a conventional toaster. The extra cinnamon sugar (along with optional raisins or nuts) may cause smoking in a conventional toaster. You can also toast it beautifully in the broiler of your oven.
The recipe will provide two luscious loaves, so you can keep one and share the other. Or not!
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
Ingredients
Bread:
6 ½ – 7 ½ cups bread flour (812g-937g)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (66g)
1 ½ tsp. salt (6g)
2 pk. yeast (14g)
1 cup whole milk (240ml)
¾ cup water (180ml)
1/3 cup butter (76g)
3 eggs, room temperature
Cinnamon Swirl Filling:
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (5g)
2 tbsp. melted butter (30g)
Topping:
1 tbsp. melted butter (15g)
Instructions
To make the bread:
In the bowl of a mixer, combine 2 cups of bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix briefly using the paddle attachment to combine well.
Meanwhile, add the milk, water and butter to a small saucepan and heat on the stove until the liquids reach 120°F – 130°F (49°C – 54°C). The butter does not need to melt.
Start the mixer and pour a thin stream of the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix for 1 minute at medium speed until all of the milk has been added. Add ½ cup more of flour and then the eggs. Gradually add enough of the remaining bread flour until the dough becomes firm. Switch the paddle attachment to the dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes.
First Rise:
Remove the dough from the mixer and place on a floured surface. Knead a few times by hand. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until double in bulk, about 45 minutes. Make sure your rising space is warm and draft free, about 75°F (24°C).
To make the cinnamon swirl filling, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir well. Set aside. Grease two 8.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.75″ (21.5cm.x 11.4cm x 7cm) bread loaf pans and set aside.
Second Rise:
Punch down the dough and divide in half.* Roll the dough out to a 9”x 14” (23cm x 45cm) rectangle. Brush the surface of the rectangle with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the cinnamon swirl filling, covering the entire surface of the rectangle*. Starting with the shorter 9” (23cm) side, roll up the dough into a jelly roll shape. Place the roll in the prepared bread loaf pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise again until double in bulk, about 45 minutes. Make sure your rising space is warm and draft free, about 75°F (24°C).
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Once the loaves are risen, remove the towel and place the loaf pans in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes until the loaves are golden brown.
Remove the bread from the oven and remove from the pans. Place the loaves on wire racks to cool. Brush the tops with melted butter and allow to cool completely before slicing.
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