Description
This Cinnamon Swirl Bread is soft with sweet cinnamon swirls running throughout each slice. Once you bake a loaf you’ll be making it frequently.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough:
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups bread flour spoon & leveled, plus a little more if needed
Filling & Top
- 1 egg white, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Add the warm milk, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a fork to just slightly whisk the three together. Leave it for about 5 to 8 minutes to proof. When proofed, it should be bubbly and foamy or frothy on top. If it’s not, stop and don’t proceed with recipe. This means your yeast is expired or your milk wasn’t warm enough to activate the yeast, or it was too hot and killed the yeast.
- Add the hook attachment to the mixer. Using your fingers, break the soft butter into small pieces and drop it into the mixing bowl. Add the salt and one cup of the flour. Turn the mixer on low for about 20 seconds, then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the second cup of flour and beat on medium speed until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the third cup and beat for a few seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough on medium speed for 8 to 9 minutes until the dough slowly bounces back with you poke your finger in it. Keep an eye on your stand mixer. Some stand mixers like to somewhat “walk” across the counter when you’re using the hook attachment.
- Gather up the dough and remove it from the bowl and set it aside for a minute. wipe out and grease the insides of the bowl. Place the dough back in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides of the dough.
- First Rise: Place the bowl in a warm place free of drafts and cover it with a towel. Allow the dough to rise until it’s doubled in size, 1.5 to 2 hours. If your kitchen is cold, you can preheat your oven to about 160 degrees before staring this recipe. Turn it off and leave the door slightly ajar. Once your ready for it to rise, place the covered bowl in the slightly warm oven. I leave the door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon handle in it. It will rise a little quicker this way too.
- Meantime, grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside. Make sure your pan is no smaller.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Shape the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove any air bubbles, (see pictures above). Turn it out onto a very lightly floured work surface. You shouldn’t need much flour. The dough should barely be tacky. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8-inches by 20-inches. Make sure the width is no wider than 8-inches. Brush the egg white over the dough, extending it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture over the egg white, stopping about 1/4 inch from the edge. Take your hand and slightly pat the mixture into the egg white. This helps to keep the cinnamon mixture from separating from the dough as it bakes. Starting at a short (8-inch) end, roll the dough into a tight 8-inch log by slightly stretching the dough towards you as you roll it. Make sure to keep the ends intact…don’t let them start to protrude as you roll. The finished log has to fit in a 9-inch loaf pan. Pinch the seam together with your fingers and place the log into the pan, seam side down. Tuck the end under slightly if need be. I also pinch the ends together to prevent the cinnamon/sugar from falling out.
- Second Rise: Place a piece of buttered plastic wrap loosely over the top of the loaf. Place it in a warm place and allow it to rise until the dough rises to 1-inch above the edges of the pan, about 1 hour. During the last few minutes preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake: Lightly brush the top of the loaf with the melted butter, making sure to not deflate the bread. Bake the bread on a lower oven rack, to prevent over browning of the top. Bake the bread until it’s golden brown on top, about 40 to 45 minutes. If the bread starts to brown too much on top, place a tent of foil over it. The bread is done when you thump the loaf and it sounds hollow or when an instant read thermometer reads between 195 to 200 degrees.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edges and invert the bread onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow the bread to cool to lukewarm before slicing it with a sharp knife.
- Wrap leftovers in a plastic bag or container for up to 3 days. After that, I suggest using it for French toast.
Notes
- Make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast before staring this recipe. If it’s expired or close to being expired, I suggest pitching it and buying fresh yeast. If it’s not expired don’t worry, we proof the yeast in this recipe to check it for freshness.