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Overhead slice of Cinnamon Swirl Bread
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4.83 from 17 votes

Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe

This cinnamon swirl bread recipe has the ultimate cozy vibes. It's a beautiful, enriched dough filled with a swirl of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter.
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Cost: $9

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour (420g)
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (50g)
  • 1 package instant dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 3 tbls unsalted butter (melted)

Topping:

  • 1 large egg (beaten)

Instructions

To Make the Dough:

  • Prepare a 8x4-inch OR 9x5-inch loaf pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan, set over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted, turn off the heat and pour in the milk and vanilla. The residual heat from the pan will warm the milk.
  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the dough attachment (alternatively you could do this by hand with a spatula), add the bread flour, sugar, instant yeast and kosher salt. Give a mix until combined. And then pour in the egg and egg yolk, butter/milk mixture and knead until combined and smooth, about 5 minutes. Grease a bowl with some oil or cooking spray and transfer the dough to the bowl. Put it in a warm and cozy place in your house so it can rise for 1 hour, or doubled in size.

To Make the Filling:

  • In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, white sugar, brown sugar and salt. Melt the butter and set aside.

To Assemble the Swirl Bread:

  • Grease a 8x4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
  • Lightly flour your work surface. Punch down the dough and roll it out into an 8x18-inch rectangle. Brush it with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with the filling. It should be an even layer of cinnamon and sugar. Pour the remaining butter on top of the filling. This will help moisten the filling to help it stick when we roll it up.
  • Tightly roll the log up and pinch the seams. Carefully transfer it to the loaf pan, seam-side down. Cover it and place it in a warm place in your house for 1 hour, until it’s about 1 inch out of loaf pan.

To Bake the Swirl Bread:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the top with the egg wash. Transfer to the oven to bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
  • Allow it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Slice it up and eat it with softened butter.

Notes

Tips and Tricks:
  • Can a 9x5-inch loaf pan be used? Yes absolutely. The loaf may be a bit more stout in shape but it'll totally work. 
  • Roll the swirl as tight as possible. This will help avoid any gaps in the bread's swirl as it cools. Pour the remaining butter on top of the cinnamon and sugar mixture also helps with this.
  • Make sure the dough is rising in a warm place. If it's drafty in your house, the dough will take longer to rise or may not rise at all. If you want, you can turn your oven to 200F and then immediately turn it off and place the dough in the oven to proof. 
Equipment:
8x4-inch loaf pan | OXO Measuring Cups | OXO Measuring Spoons | KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Food Scale

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 6mg