Get ready to fill your home with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked cinnamon twist bread! This recipe makes two beautiful loaves of soft, fluffy bread with sweet cinnamon swirls in every bite. Perfect for sharing or freezing for later, these loaves are golden on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of sugary spice. Whether enjoyed warm from the oven or toasted with a little butter, this cinnamon twist bread is sure to become a favorite for breakfast, snacks, or even dessert!
If you like soft warm delicious cinnamon rolls, you’re going to love this cinnamon twist bread recipe! Your family members will file into your kitchen as your cinnamon bread bakes filling the room with the smell of cinnamon and brown sugar and your tastebuds will anticipate the first bite of soft warm homemade cinnamon swirl bread. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any time of day. When you want something special for the holidays, this recipe shines!
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Please note, that the printable recipe card has ingredient quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
Ingredients Notes for Cinnamon Twist Bread
Water – Used to activate our yeast. The optimum temperature should be 95º F to 105º F. I think of warm bathwater. Using temperatures above 115º F can damage the yeast.
Milk – We use whole milk. It adds richness to the recipe and the additional fat makes baked goods soft and tender. Milk provides the liquid that we need in this recipe and it works with our other ingredients to help our baked goods rise and become light and tender. You can use any variety of milk for this recipe but your results could vary.
Bread Flour – Has a higher level of protein than all-purpose flour giving baked goods structure and elasticity, which we need for our Cinnamon Twist bread. It also gives our baked goods a chewier texture. You can substitute with all-purpose flour. However, bread flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour so you may have to reduce the amount of liquid in this recipe so the dough doesn’t become overly sticky.
Active Dry Yeast – This yeast needs to be rehydrated, unlike instant yeast. This will also indicate that your yeast is good to use. It takes more time to rise and is often used in baked goods that require more than one rise or cold-proofed dough. Always make sure your yeast is not expired.
Honey – Honey adds additional moisture to a recipe and is great for baked goods. Many sources recommend using raw honey in baking but we haven’t had any issues using regular honey.
Butter – We use real butter but you can substitute it with a butter substitute. That may affect the flavor, however. You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. Using room-temperature butter creams together easier than cold butter.
Salt – You can use any salt. Our preferences are Kosher salt or Fine sea salt which we feel dissolves better with a less likely chance of salt pockets in our baked goods.
Eggs – Using fresh grade A large eggs creates structure and stability within the batter and adds moisture.
Brown Sugar – We prefer dark brown sugar which has a deeper molasses flavor compared to light brown sugar. However, you can use either. They’re interchangeable.
Ground Cinnamon. We’ve found that Saigon Cinnamon is a good variety for our baking. If you’re sensitive to cinnamon, this article explains the difference.
Cream Cheese – We prefer to use full-fat. It makes our glaze rich and creamy.
Vanilla Extract – We prefer pure vanilla extract. However, you can use imitation vanilla extract if that’s what you have.
How to Make Cinnamon Twist Bread
There are several steps to this recipe but that’s because I’ve broken it into baby steps. But you won’t find any hard steps. Just take it one step at a time and in no time at all you’ll have fresh, warm bread dripping with glaze to serve your family. Life doesn’t get any better than that.
Thick paste
Butter, milk, sugar, honey and salt.
Add paste and eggs to butter mixture
Make a well and add egg mixture
Easy Homemade Dough – 1st Rise
- In a small saucepan, whisk some of the water, milk, and flour together and cook over medium heat until you have a thick paste. Cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast with 2 1/2 cups of flour. Set aside for now.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, cook the butter, remaining milk, sugar, honey, and salt together just until the butter has melted.
- Whisk the cooled flour paste with the eggs. Then make a well in the flour yeast mixture and add the warm milk mixture. Stir. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have a soft dough. Note: The dough may be a little sticky at this time.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, place it in a warm draft-free area, and let it rise for one hour.
Cinnamon Twist Bread Filling
Make the Filling. In a small bowl, stir the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until fully combined and smooth.
Divide and Shape
- Punch down and knead the bread for 4 or 5 minutes until it feels soft and smooth. Divide the dough in half.
- Roll out one dough ball to a 12×18-inch rectangle. Spread half of the cinnamon mixture in a thin layer over the dough. Start rolling the dough on the long edge into a tube with the cinnamon mixture inside. Using a sharp knife, slice the tube in half, leaving the top inch uncut. Slowly twist the two sides together and pinch the ends together.
Place the first loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick liner. Twist the ends into a desired shape. Then repeat the process with the other ball of dough. You will get 2 loaves of bread with this recipe.
Second Rise and Bake
Cover both loaves and allow them to rise on a baking sheet for 45 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Bake each loaf for 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Cool the cinnamon bread on the pan for 10 minutes.
Make the Cream Cheese Glaze.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar and continue beating. If needed, add a little milk to get the consistency that you would like. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread. I dip a fork into the glaze and whip it back and forth over the top of the bread.
Tips for Best Results
Because this is a cut dough, some of the filling will leak out during baking. That is completely normal and expected. Any leaked filling will just fall off the bread when you remove it from the baking sheet.
When adding the flour, if the dough gets too tough to stir with a spoon, use your hands. I find it a lot easier.
If you bake both loaves of bread at the same time, switch them in the oven halfway through so they bake the same.
Substitutions and Variations for Cinnamon Roll Bread
You can add raisins or nuts to this dough. If wanted, add the raisins to the dough just after you combine all the flour and before the first rise.
How to Store Cinnamon Twist Bread
Store leftovers in an airtight container or bag on the counter for 3 days. The bread will go stale before it goes bad. Warm stale bread in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. When our bread gets stale, we make Pumpkin Bread Pudding!
This bread can be frozen after baking. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To eat, thaw it on the counter and warm it slightly before serving.
More Amazing Shaped Breads
We love shaping bread. Sharing them just feels special. If you’d like to try it yourself, our may enjoy our Chocolate Babka recipe or Blueberry Twist Bread are fun and delicious. And, be sure to take a look at this Sweet Nut Christmas Bread Wreath and our very popular Star Bread. They’re definitely show-stoppers.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Cinnamon Twist Bread Recipe (2 Loaf)
Ingredients
Bread
- ⅓ cup water
- 1⅓ cups milk divided
- 6 cups bread flour divided
- 4½ tsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup butter diced
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
Filling Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
Cream Cheese Glaze
- ¾ cup cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk if needed
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk the water, 1/3 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of the flour together and cook over medium heat until you end up with a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast with 2 1/2 cups of flour. Set aside for now.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, 1 cup of milk, sugar, honey and salt. Heat on medium until the butter is just melted.
- Add the flour paste and 2 eggs and whisk together.
- Make a well in the flour yeast mixture and add the warm milk mixture. Stir until fully combined.
- Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you get a soft, but slightly sticky dough.
- Place in a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place the bowl in a warm draft-free area for one hour to rise or until doubled in size.
- Next, we’ll make the filling. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined and smooth.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it for 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and shape each of them into a ball.
- Roll out one dough ball to approximately 12 inches by 18 inches square. Spread half of the cinnamon mixture in a thin layer over the top of the dough.
- Start rolling the dough on the long end into a tube with the cinnamon mixture inside.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the tube in half, leaving the top inch attached.
- Slowly twist the two sides together and pinch the ends together.
- Place the shaped bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick liner. Twist the ends into a desired shape. Repeat step 10 to 14 with the other ball of dough. You will get 2 loaves of bread with this recipe.
- Cover both loaves and allow them to rise on the baking sheet for an additional 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Bake each loaf for 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown in colour. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
- While the bread is cooling, make the cream cheese glaze.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar and continue beating. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get the consistency that you would like.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread and serve.
Notes
• Store leftovers in an airtight container or bag on the counter for 3 days. The bread will go stale before it goes bad. If it is a little stale, warm the bread in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
• This bread can be frozen after baking. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To eat, thaw on the counter and warm slightly before serving.
• You can add raisins or nuts to this dough. If wanted, add the raisins to the dough just after you combine all the flour and before the first rise.
• When adding the flour, if the dough gets too tough to stir with a spoon, use your hands. I find it a lot easier.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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