Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This is a classic yeast-raised cinnamon bread, the kind made slowly, rolled by hand, and baked until the kitchen smells like comfort. The dough is soft and rich, the swirl is generous, and the loaf slices beautifully once cooled. Perfect for toast, French toast, or eating plain with butter while standing at the counter.

🍞 Instructions – By Hand or Stand Mixer

Step 1: Activate the Yeast

In a large bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

Step 2: Make the Dough

Add remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, and 360 g flour. Mix until a soft dough forms, adding additional flour only if needed.

Step 3: Knead

Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Step 4: First Rise

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled in size.

🌀 Cinnamon Swirl Assembly

1. Punch dough down gently.
2. Roll into a long rectangle (about 23 x 46 cm / 9 x 18 inches).
3. Brush evenly with melted butter.
4. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
5. Roll up tightly from the short end.
6. Pinch the seam and tuck the ends underneath.
7. Place seam-side down in a well-buttered loaf pan.

Cover and let rise about 2 hours, until doubled and domed.

🔥 Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
2. Brush loaf gently with egg wash
3. Bake 25–35 minutes, until golden brown

If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

🧈 Finishing & Cooling

• Brush hot loaf with melted butter
• Let rest 15 minutes in the pan
• Run a knife along the edges and remove
• Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing

Do not slice hot—this bread needs time to set.

⚙️ Bread Machine Instructions (Dough Only)

Add ingredients to the bread machine in this order:

1. Warm milk
2. Egg
3. Melted butter
4. Sugar
5. Salt
6. Flour
7. Yeast

Select Dough Cycle only.
When complete, remove dough and continue with rolling, filling, second rise, and baking as directed above.

📝 Notes

• Roll the dough snug but not stretched to prevent gaps
• Let the loaf cool fully for clean slices
• Bread freezes well once sliced

🍽️ Serving Ideas

• Toasted with butter
• French toast
• Cinnamon bread pudding
• Or plain, because some things don’t need improving

Jana Rae

Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This old-fashioned cinnamon swirl bread is soft, tender, and made from scratch with yeast. Includes bread machine and hand-made instructions, grams, calories, and tips for a perfect swirl every time.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rise Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Calories: 285

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 180 g warm milk ¾ cup, about 110°F
• 7 g active dry yeast 2¼ tsp
• 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
• 1 large egg ≈ 50 g without shell
• 57 g unsalted butter melted (4 Tbsp)
• 6 g salt 1 tsp
• 360 –420 g all-purpose flour 3–3½ cups

Cinnamon Filling

• 43 g butter melted (3 Tbsp)
• 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
• 12 g ground cinnamon 1½ Tbsp

Topping

• 1 large egg + 15 g water egg wash
• 14 g melted butter 1 Tbsp, for brushing after baking

Get ingredients with

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Method

 

Instructions – By Hand or Stand Mixer

1. In a large bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, and 360 g flour. Mix until a soft dough forms, adding additional flour only if needed.
3. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled in size.

Cinnamon Swirl Assembly

1. Punch dough down gently.
2. Roll into a long rectangle (about 23 x 46 cm / 9 x 18 inches).
3. Brush evenly with melted butter.
4. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
5. Roll up tightly from the short end.
6. Pinch the seam and tuck the ends underneath.
7. Place seam-side down in a well-buttered loaf pan.
8. Cover and let rise about 2 hours, until doubled and domed.

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
2. Brush loaf gently with egg wash
3. Bake 25–35 minutes, until golden brown
4. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Finishing & Cooling

1. Brush hot loaf with melted butter
2. Let rest 15 minutes in the pan
3. Run a knife along the edges and remove
4. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing
5. Do not slice hot—this bread needs time to set.

Bread Machine Instructions (Dough Only)

1. Add ingredients to the bread machine in this order:
2. Warm milk
3. Egg
4. Melted butter
5. Sugar
6. Salt
7. Flour
8. Yeast
9. Select Dough Cycle only.
10. When complete, remove dough and continue with rolling, filling, second rise, and baking as directed above.

Notes

• Roll the dough snug but not stretched to prevent gaps
• Let the loaf cool fully for clean slices
• Bread freezes well once sliced

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