Cinnamon Bread

This BEST Cinnamon Bread recipe is so soft and delicious! It will be gone in minutes and will become a family favorite in no time.

Cinnamon Bread is packed with flavors like our family favorite One Hour Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Roll Cake, and Cinnamon Quick Bread Recipe!

Homemade Cinnamon Bread

In our family, there are two things my mom makes that we ALL crave and beg for once the weather cools down – Cinnamon Bread and Homemade Donuts.

This Cinnamon Bread Recipe is especially delicious during the holidays!

The recipe comes from a family friend from church, and it’s the one my mom has used for years! This is the yummiest and gooey-est Cinnamon Bread I have ever tried, and I know you will love it just as much as we do!

Slice the Cinnamon Bread and spread it with butter, put it in the toaster, or use it to make French Toast!

My kids eat this bread like it was candy – it practically is! Cinnamon Bread makes a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or late-night treat. 

How to make cinnamon bread

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, hot water, and butter. Stir to mix, break up butter chunks and dissolve the brown sugar a bit (a few butter chunks are okay).

Add cold water, sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes. It will not bubble much.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Add flour 1 cup at a time and stir together with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for a few minutes to ensure all the flour is well incorporated.

This is a very wet and sticky dough that will stick to your hands. Dipping your hands in flour before kneading may help, but it will still stick.

RISE. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.

PREP. While the bread is rising, grease two 5-x-9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture: mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Set aside.

Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.

SHAPE. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and place it onto a lightly floured surface.

• Form a ball and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
• Working with one piece at a time on a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle to about 7 x 22 inches and about ½ inch thick.
• Brush with half of the egg wash to help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick better.
• Spread ⅔ cup cinnamon-sugar mix evenly over the dough, then lightly spray with water.
• Roll the dough up tightly, lightly pulling as well as tucking in the sides as you roll. 
• Pinch the ends closed and drop them into the prepared loaf pan seam side down.
• Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining egg wash and cinnamon-sugar mix.

2nd RISE. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

BAKE. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake for 40–45 minutes. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush the tops with butter. Let cool completely before slicing.

Ingredient Tips

Flour. I use all-purpose white flour to make this Cinnamon Bread recipe. Use an equal amount of bread flour for a more chewy texture, but all-purpose flour will work perfectly.

Yeast. This recipe calls for rapid-rise instant yeast, but I often use active dry yeast. When sprinkled on top of the sugar and water mixture, it will activate either type.

Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar. Make your own using 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses. Mix them together well before using them in the recipe.

Variations.

• Add raisins. Sprinkle them on after spreading the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, but before rolling it up.
• Glaze. Many people like to drizzle the top of the bread with a powdered sugar glaze. 

Recipe Tips

Why do the swirls separate. Sometimes the swirls separate and create a gap when the bread is cut. The egg wash will help keep the cinnamon swirls tight and avoid forming a gap. 

Another factor that can cause a gap is using an extra amount of cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Slicing. Allow time for the bread to cool before slicing otherwise it can mush together and the cinnamon may run out of the swirls. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing the bread and placing it on a rack to cool. Use a bread knife to cut the slices. 

What size to roll the dough. The way the dough is rolled will determine the space and amount of swirls created. I typically roll my dough 7×22 inches so that it is ½ inch thick.  

• Width: Roll the dough so that it is just wider than the width of your bread pan. The extra width will allow the edges to be tucked when rolled. 
• Length: Roll it into varying lengths. The smaller the length the fewer the swirls. The opposite is also true, the longer the length the more swirls will be created. Do not roll the dough too thin otherwise, the swirls will tear open creating one solid cinnamon center. 

Kneading. This dough is quite sticky. The first time I made this I thought I made it incorrectly and threw the batch away! After having the master baker demonstrate each step, I had done it correctly after all.

To avoid using your hands, use the dough hook on the stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer.

Rising tips. In a quick bread, baking powder or baking soda is the rising agent. Once the batter is mixed it is immediately ready for the oven. However, yeast bread requires time to proof.

This Cinnamon Bread needs about 2 hours of rising time, fortunately, there are a couple of tricks to speed this up. 

• Preheat the oven to 200°F. Turn OFF the oven. Cover the bowl of dough with a damp towel and place the bowl in the oven to rise. 
• Another easy method is to add HOT water to a bowl and place the bowl containing the dough directly on top. Cover the dough and let rise.
• The dough will always rise faster in a warmer environment. 
• Do not let the dough over-rise otherwise it will fall and won’t be salvageable. 
• Once the dough is in the bread pan, allow the dough to rise 1 inch above the top of the bread pan.

Storing Info

STORE. Place the cooled loaves in a large resealable plastic bag and store them at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days.

FREEZE. This bread also freezes well. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag, or wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw at room temperature before warming to your liking.

For more of our favorite bread

• Dinner Rolls
• BEST Homemade Bread
• French Bread
• Homemade Naan Bread
• Buttery Corn Bread
• Amish Friendship Bread
• Best Banana Bread Recipe