Easy Homemade Bread!
What’s better than a warm loaf of homemade bread? One with a cinnamon sugar swirl! Yum! We love this Cinnamon Swirl Bread still warm from the oven or toasted the next day! This simple recipe makes 1-loaf. You can easily mix and knead the dough by hand, with your food processor or in your stand mixer!
Don’t forget to spread on a little butter! Have 5 minutes – make your own butter! You won’t believe how amazing homemade butter tastes and how easy it is to make! Recipe here!
Has my Dough Risen Enough?
Most bread recipes tell you to let your dough “rise until double” – but how do you know when it’s doubled? – especially if it’s rising in a rounded bowl or a zip top bag? I’ve heard it’s best to let your dough rise in a straight sided container…
I don’t have many perfectly straight sided containers – but since I mixed my dough in my food processor – I figured I could use the food processor bowl for raising (rising?) my dough as it’s perfectly straight sided!
I removed the dough after mixing – wiped out any remaining dough bits, wipe with oil (or lightly spray), settle the dough to the bottom and cover with plastic wrap. Get down to eye level and place a piece of tape where the dough would rise to when doubled – now you’ll know (more) precisely when your dough has risen until double!
How to Form the Swirled Loaf:
Pat your dough (or use a rolling pin) into a 8″ by 12″ rectangle and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Roll up dough, then tuck / pinch ends and seam so all the cinnamon sugar stays inside.
Butter your pan, settle the dough in, butter the plastic wrap where the dough may touch while rising.
The Second Rise:
Let the dough rise in the pan until it pokes up about 3/4-inch above the top of the pan. It will rise up a little more during baking.
Video: Cinnamon Swirl Bread + Overview of KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor Plus
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/4 cup water (room temperature) plus extra if needed
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 large large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 oz. package or 2 1/4 teaspoons instant/rapid rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
- oil or non-stick spray for greasing
Cinnamon Filling:
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- You can mix the dough by hand, with a stand mixer or in a food processor.
- Combine the water, milk and egg in a liquid measuring cup.
Food Processor:
- Use dough blade or metal multi-purpose blade (if you don't have a dough blade) - Add: flour, salt, yeast, butter, sugar and raisins (see note) pulse to combine dry ingredients. Then, add liquid while running unit on high speed. When mixture comes together into a soft dough (it won't quite form a ball - it's a slightly sticky/wetter dough), pulse several times to knead dough. If dough seems way too wet or dry, you can add a little flour or water. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few turns.
Stand Mixer:
- Use dough hook. (or start with flat beater and mix just until wet and dry ingred. come together into shaggy texture - then switch to dough hook) Use only Speed 2. Combine wet ingredients in a measuring cup. Combine all dry ingredients (+butter) in mixer bowl. While stirring the dry ingredients, pour the liquids in a slow steady stream. Knead dough on speed 2 for 3-5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. (it won't quite form a ball - it's a slightly sticky/wetter dough) If dough seems too wet or dry, you can add a little flour or water.
Mixing/Kneading By Hand:
- In large bowl, stir together dry ingredients (+butter), then stir in wet ingredients. Once mixture forms shaggy texture. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 5-7 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and supple. This dough will be slightly sticky/wetter. Only sprinkle with enough flour to make it workable. A bench knife/scaper may be handy to use.
First Rise/Ferment
- If refrigerating dough overnight: Place dough in lightly greased zip-top bag and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. If making bread the same day, place dough in lightly greased bowl, turn dough in greased bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise. Allow dough to rise 1 - 2 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
Form Loaf/Second Rise-Proof
- Make Cinnamon Sugar Filling: In small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
- Remove dough from container, gently press to deflate. On lightly floured surface pat dough (or use rolling pin) into a 8" x 12" rectangle. (short side facing you). Sprinkle dough rectangle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Start rolling the dough from short end. Tuck and pinch the ends and pinch together the seam to seal. Butter a 8.5" x 4.5" x 2.5" pan. Place dough in pan and cover with a greased sheet of plastic wrap.
- Place dough in warm place to rise. While dough is rising preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (325 if using glass or very dark colored pan). Oven rack should be in a lower center position so top of loaf will end up in center of oven.
- Make egg wash: whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water.
- When the dough has risen 3/4" above the edge of the baking pan, brush with egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes or until deep golden brown and 185-190 degrees in center when checked with instant read thermometer.
- Let dough rest in pan for 5 minutes - then turn out onto cooling rack. Cool loaf on its side for about 45 minutes before slicing.
Made this with my 9 cup food processor. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing, love your recipes
Hi Julie – So glad you enjoyed! Take care of yourself!
I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out fantastic. My second batch I added melted butter to the sugar and cinnamon along with some chopped pecans and spread it out on the dough before I rolled it up and again it turned out wonderful. Thanks Tina!
Can I make it the same way in a bread machine? Or are there modifications to the recipe?
Hi Barbara – I don’t have a bread machine – so I can’t say for sure. I did find this article – was interesting – maybe will help! How to Convert Recipes for Bread Machine
Hi Barbara – I asked the chef/food stylist who I work with at QVC – she knows a lot about bread machines. She said you can do this: “They just need to add in this order
All wet first
Then all dry except yeast
Then fat
Then yeast
If they use the rapid cycle they need to double the yeast”
I guess also make sure the amount of dough is compatible with your bread machine.
Made it this morning and it was quite delicious. Food processor didn’t seem to agree with the dough but otherwise it was good.
Hi Kristy – Glad you enjoyed! You can always make this by hand or in a mixer too! Take Care!
Thanks Tina for this recipe. I made this using Saigon Cinnamon from Costco and it made my mouth sing! It was also great toasted for a few days afterward till it all disappeared!
Hi Mitch! So glad you enjoyed!! We love it toasted too! Take care!
I followed your recipe. I just got the 9 cup kitchenaide food processor.slowky added 1/2 cup raisins. The motor over heated and started to smoke. Immediately let it cool down. Other than that, dough is rising nicely. Can’t wait to taste after baked. Thanks for recipe.
Sure thing Cecilia – you don’t have to add the raisins slowly. Hope the bread turned out well for you!! Let me know if you enjoy!
Is there a way to make the swirl more gooey ?
Hi Sara – Thanks for reaching out! Generally – When you add butter to the swirl mixture – it keeps the bread layers from adhering together and you get a lot of separation in your bread layers – making it hard to keep in a nice slice. When I’m craving that super gooey cinnamon yumminess – I make cinnamon rolls or sticky buns!! Take care!
Hi Cristina, Thank you for sharing this recipe! Would the recipe work with a cinnamon-sugar top crust?
Hi Laura! Sounds delicious! I haven’t tried this personally – I wonder if sugar on the top would caramelize too much and burn?
Hi! I’m having trouble with my loaf being too small and the swirls sagging to the bottom of the pan. Any tips?
Hi Rowan – Sounds like maybe it didn’t rise enough on the second rise?
My wife had similar problems with the bread machine. We used a Britta filter in our previous home. The bread always came out great.
The water from our tap in our new home has nitrates, so we use reverse osmosis water for drinking and cooking. The bread would rise properly, and then fall while baking. We tried a loaf with regular tap water and the bread came over the top and was nice and fluffy.
My guess is that the bread needs the minerals in the ground water to do its thing.
Hello. I dont have a same size bread pan and wondering how much i should let it rise on second time. Should it rise double again?
Yes, I would let rise until just about double. Should be light and puffy when gently touched. If you’re using a larger pan, it will be a much shorter loaf.