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Foolproof Cinnamon Swirl Bread From Scratch

5 from 10 votes
Published by ⁠— (updated July 17, 2026) — 18 Comments

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Are you looking for the perfect easy cinnamon swirl bread recipe? Your journey stops here. This simple homemade bread recipe uses a handful of basic ingredients and a few clever techniques that even beginners can master to produce a gloriously spiraled loaf of fresh cinnamon swirl bread every time.

A loaf of cinnamon swirl bread is cut to reveal its beautiful spiral pattern, sitting on a light surface with green plants and white flowers blurred in the background.
Look closely...there are actually two cinnamon swirls happening here!

5-star reader review

“Made this recently for a board game night with friends—it did not survive the night. So delicious, and Rebecca’s instructions make it so easy to get that beautiful swirl!”

—Megan
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Though the loaf itself is dairy-free (and egg-free too!), this cinnamon swirl bread is best eaten toasted with butter (I'm partial to my homemade stand mixer butter with a sprinkle of flaky salt!) to really bring out the warm, sweet flavors. But it's equally fantastic plain or turned into French toast!

What Makes This Cinnamon Swirl Bread Unique

I've tried many cinnamon swirl bread recipes in my life. And I've been disappointed in all of them. Truly! Making a perfect cinnamon swirl loaf is a lot harder than you think. Here's just some of the issues you might run into:

  • Cinnamon is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. When you roll the cinnamon sugar inside the dough, the cinnamon prevents the layers of dough from sticking to each other, creating air pockets along the spiral.
  • Sugar is hygroscopic, which means it attracts water. The sugar in the spiral absorbs water from the dough, causing it to melt and liquify, seeping out of the loaf and leaving a gap behind. That means more air pockets.
  • If you have a small kitchen, it's hard to roll the dough long and narrow enough to get a tight spiral, resulting in a wider swirl in the finished loaf. It's not as pretty and means you don't get cinnamon sugar in every bite.
  • If you smush or tuck the ends of a cinnamon swirl loaf together during shaping, you ruin the spiral.
  • The layers of cinnamon sugar act as barriers to prevent steam from escaping during baking. This can also cause air pockets or cause the loaf to burst open unpredictably during baking.

So I set out to make a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread that solved not one, not two, not three — but all of these issues as reliably as possible.

A slice of cinnamon swirl bread with a pat of butter on top sits on a speckled plate next to a knife. In the background, there’s a loaf of freshly baked cinnamon swirl bread and a small bowl of cinnamon sugar.

I used my classic soft sandwich bread (dairy-free, egg-free) as a base for my cinnamon swirl bread. And even with a recipe as reliable and simple as that, I still ran into issues getting the perfect cinnamon swirl at first.

I tested so many different troubleshooting techniques — egg wash, oil, plain dough, dry sugar, wet sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, a butter and cinnamon sugar paste, etc. before I had my eureka! moment. Here are the 6 techniques I use to create the perfect swirl:

  1. I add flour to the cinnamon sugar mixture. The flour will absorb water and begin forming a gluten network between the layers of dough, preventing the sugar from melting out.
  2. I generously spray the dough and cinnamon sugar mixture with water before and after adding the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. This gives the cinnamon time to begin hydrating so that it doesn't repel the moisture of the dough and the sugar. The water mixes with the flour and cinnamon sugar mixture to create a paste that stays put during the final rise.
  3. I add cinnamon to the dough so that even if you get a bite without any of the swirl in it, you still get a nice cinnamon flavor. But you shouldn't get a bite without any swirl because...
  4. I use a Pullman pan with vertical sides to support the loaf and keep the spiral tight as the loaf bakes and rises in the oven.
  5. ...Eureka! There are actually two cinnamon sugar swirls in this bread! To shape the cinnamon swirl, I divided the dough in half, rolled out two long rectangles, and sandwiched a layer of cinnamon sugar between them. Two layers of dough + two layers of cinnamon sugar = the most spectacular cinnamon swirl of all time!
  6. I give the steam an escape route by poking holes down the length of the loaf with a toothpick right before baking.

It's those final two tricks I'm most proud of. The idea of layering two pieces of dough and filling borrows from the lamination technique used to make things like croissant dough, and it's super beginner-friendly too. It creates the illusion of one cinnamon sugar spiral when there are actually two!

And the toothpick holes were a last-minute experiment that totally paid off. So simple, but super effective: 4-5 tiny holes poked down the center of the loaf are enough to let the steam out while the loaf bakes.

a 9x4 metal pullman pan with straight sides.

USA PAN Small Pullman Loaf Pan

Dimensions: 9"x4". Straight-sided baking pan made from aluminized steel with a rippled texture for increased airflow.

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Sur La Table
Seven labeled ingredients for cinnamon swirl bread in bowls and cups on a white surface: flour, honey, sugar, cinnamon, salt, yeast, olive oil, and water. Ingredients are arranged separately and seen from above.
See recipe card (at the end of the blog post) for ingredient quantities!

Ground Cinnamon - Cinnamon is such an important flavor in this recipe that I do recommend using a high-quality cinnamon with an intense flavor. I used Burlap & Barrel's Royal Cinnamon here.

Sugar - Plain granulated white sugar is used to make the cinnamon sugar filling. You can also use caster sugar or superfine sugar, but do not use powdered sugar. I also don't recommend using brown sugar; it has too much moisture in it and can create separation between your dough layers during baking.

Jazz it up! You can create a more complex and interesting cinnamon sugar swirl filling by adding a pinch of other warm spices like ground cloves, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, or nutmeg. You can also use pre-existing cinnamon-heavy spice blends like pumpkin spice or apple pie spice to replace some or all of the cinnamon in this recipe.

Mix up a Super Simple Cinnamon Bread Dough

This is your standard bread dough process.

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
  2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix with a dough hook until the dough comes together in one mass on the hook.
  4. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl (I use these plastic hair processing caps as bowl covers) and place it in the fridge to rise for one hour.

A round ball of dough, soon to become delicious cinnamon swirl bread, sits in the center of a large metal mixing bowl on a light textured surface.
Before rising.
A ball of risen dough, soon to become cinnamon swirl bread, sits in a large metal mixing bowl on a white textured surface.
After rising.

The cold temperature of the fridge slows down the yeast a bit, but there's more than enough yeast in this dough for it to still rise. The cinnamon in the dough also slows yeast activity, so don't be surprised if you don't see it dramatically double in size. Cold dough is easier to shape and handle, so I like doing the first rise in the fridge to make it easier to shape the cinnamon swirl roll.

The dough will be fine in the fridge for up to 2 or even 3 hours, so don't worry if you don't get to it exactly an hour later.

A Bit of Flour in the Cinnamon Sugar Filling Makes A Big Difference

The flour is crucial to the cinnamon sugar filling. When you spray the filling with water later on, the flour begins forming a gluten network that acts like glue between the layers of dough, keeping the cinnamon sugar from melting out.

A hand holding a whisk mixes white flour and ground cinnamon in a round bowl on a light-colored textured surface, preparing the perfect filling for homemade cinnamon swirl bread.

How I Shape Cinnamon Swirl Bread

two hands pressing the dough into a thick square shape.
Press the dough into a square shape.
the flat square of dough has been cut in half down the middle with a metal bench scraper.
Divide the square of dough in half.
Two hands use a wooden rolling pin to flatten a piece of dough on a light-colored textured surface, preparing it for homemade cinnamon swirl bread.
Roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle.
A hand holds a small spray bottle, misting one of two rectangular pieces of rolled dough—soon to become delicious cinnamon swirl bread—on a light, textured surface.
Generously spray one of the dough rectangles with water.
a hand uses the back of a spoon to spread a generous layer of cinnamon sugar on the left piece of dough, leaving a clean border around the edges.
Sprinkle the wet dough with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.
a hand holding a small spray bottle spritzing the cinnamon sugar with water.
Spray the cinnamon sugar generously with water.
close up of two hands draping the clean dough rectangle down on top of the cinnamon sugar filling on the other dough rectangle.
Lay the other dough rectangle on top of the cinnamon sugar. Pinch the edges all the way around to seal it inside.
a long narrow dough rectangle with cinnamon sugar spread to the edges. it is dark brown in color due to water. a small spray bottle lies to the left of it.
Repeat the same process: Spray the top of the dough, sprinkle cinnamon sugar (this time to the edges), then spray with water.
two hands gently rolling the dough rectangle into a log.
Roll the dough up into a tight log.
the rolled up cinnamon sugar dough in a pullman loaf pan. it does not fill out the length of the pan.
Place the dough in a lightly greased Pullman pan to rise again.
fully risen cinnamon swirl bread dough in a loaf pan has filled out the length of the pan.
When the dough has doubled in size and filled out the length of the pan, it's ready to bake.
a hand using a toothpick to poke 5 holes down the middle of the bread dough.
Immediately before baking, use a toothpick to poke 5 deep holes down the middle of the loaf.
a baked loaf of cinnamon swirl bread in a loaf pan on a cooling rack. the top right side of the loaf has cracked open slightly, showing the cinnamon sugar filling inside.

Remove the cinnamon swirl bread from the oven and immediately (caution: it's hot!) turn it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. This prevents steam from getting trapped in the pan so the bread doesn't get soggy and prevents the cinnamon sugar from hardening in the pan.

I know it's tempting to cut a slice of freshly baked cinnamon swirl bread while it's still hot, but resist that urge! If you slice the bread before it's cooled and the starches haven't set yet, the steam still inside the bread will turn the starches to mush. And the cinnamon sugar mixture will leak out everywhere. No one wants leaky, mushy bread!

A loaf of cinnamon swirl bread and a single sliced piece sit on a cooling rack. Surrounding items include a whisk, a metal cup with cinnamon sugar, a netted cloth, and artificial flowers on a white surface, creating a cozy scene centered around the freshly baked cinnamon swirl bread.

Practical Tips and Recipe Notes

  • If it's very cold where you live, your shaped cinnamon swirl loaf may rise more slowly; it's okay if it needs an additional 15-45 minutes to rise before baking. I've been using a seed starting heat mat (less than $15!) to keep my bread dough nice and cozy while it rises.
  • If you don't have a spray bottle for the water you can use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the plain dough with water. I really do recommend picking up a cheap misting spray bottle — they sell them at dollar stores and sometimes in the travel section at drug stores!

💭 Have More Baking Questions?

I've rounded up answers to common baking questions and how-to guides, including:

  • Ingredient swaps and FAQs
  • Why my recipes are written in grams and not cups
  • How to quickly bring eggs and butter to room temperature
  • Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
  • Step-by-step guides for bread and baking techniques

See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!

TL;DR — Recipe Summary

  • Mix the dough ingredients together until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.
  • Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
  • Let the dough rise in the fridge for 1 hour.
  • While the dough rises, make the cinnamon sugar filling mixture.
  • Press the dough into a thick square. Cut the dough in half down the middle into two long rectangular pieces.
  • Roll both pieces of dough into rectangles about ¼" thick.
  • Spray one piece of dough generously with water. Top it with half the cinnamon sugar mixture in an even layer leaving a clear border around the edges. Spray the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture with water.
  • Lay the clean piece of dough on top of the other, pinching the edges to seal the two pieces of dough together.
  • Spray again with water, top with cinnamon sugar (this time to the edges) and spray with water to saturate the cinnamon sugar.
  • Roll the dough into a tight log and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise at room temperature or somewhere warm for 1 hour.
  • Poke a line of 5 holes down the center of the loaf and bake.
  • Immediately turn the loaf onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Want this recipe, only smaller?

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📖 Recipe

a cross section of a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread.

Soft Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread (No-Gapping!)

Servings 1 loaf
Author Rebecca Eisenberg
This simple homemade cinnamon swirl bread recipe uses a handful of basic ingredients and clever techniques that even beginners can master to produce a gloriously spiraled loaf of fresh cinnamon swirl bread every time.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rising Time (Divided) 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Recipe Notes

  • If it's very humid where you live, I recommend holding back about 25 grams of water to start. If it looks or feels like the dough needs it, drizzle it in 1 teaspoon at a time during the mixing stage.
  • If it's very cold where you live, your dough may rise more slowly; it's okay if it needs an extra 15-45 minutes to rise.
  • For a shiny top, brush the loaf with a lightly beaten egg before scoring and baking.
  • If you have a smaller loaf pan (8x4"), I recommend scaling the recipe down by about 20%. When it's ready to bake, it will slightly crown over the rim of the pan.
  • This cinnamon swirl bread is best eaten within the first 3 days after baking, though you can store it in an airtight bag or bread bag at room temperature for up to a week. I usually store it in a large resealable plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible. For best results, toast your cinnamon swirl bread slices before eating! This really wakes up the cinnamon sugar flavors.
  • Freeze the Whole Loaf: Freeze the whole loaf, in a bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Defrost it at room temperature, then pop it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes before slicing. Toast the slices to eat.
  • Freeze the Sliced Loaf: Slice the loaf and place the sliced loaf in a plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Bonus: Slide a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between each slice to make them easy to separate later. Simply break off a slice of frozen cinnamon swirl bread, pop it in a toaster oven, and it'll be ready to eat.

Ingredients
 

  • 400 grams all-purpose flour
  • 8 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
  • 7 grams instant yeast (see recipe notes for active dry yeast)
  • 3 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
  • 236 grams warm water (90°F)
  • 20 grams olive oil
  • 8 grams honey

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • 132 grams sugar (⅔ cup)
  • 16 grams ground cinnamon (2 tablespoons)
  • 14 grams all-purpose flour (1 tablespoon, tightly packed)

Instructions
 

  • Mix. Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add warm water, honey, and olive oil. Mix with the dough hook, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass on the dough hook and clears the sides of the bowl.
  • Knead. Increase the speed to low-medium and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. The dough may cling slightly to the walls of the bowl but should pull away cleanly.
  • Rise. Tuck the edges of the dough under to create a ball of dough with a smooth top. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise in the fridge for 1-3 hours. The dough will increase in size, but may not truly double.
  • Cinnamon Sugar Filling. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it loosely into a square shape. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough in half so you have two long rectangles. Roll each rectangle out so that they're approximately 7x14 inches.
    Spritz the surface of one rectangle with water, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges clear. Spritz the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place the second dough rectangle on top of the other, sandwiching the filling in between them.
    Carefully lift the dough around the edges to release any air bubbles inside, then pinch the edges of the two layers of dough together. Spritz the surface of the dough with water again, and sprinkle all over with the remaining cinnamon sugar, this time going all the way to the edges.
    • If you have a small counter, have a sheet pan set aside to put the piece of dough you're not currently working with on while you roll out the other.
    When you're rolling out your dough rectangles, you want the width to be 1-2 inches shorter than the length of your pan. So if you have a 9-inch long pan, roll the dough 7-8 inches wide. If you have an 8-inch long pan, roll the dough 6-7 inches wide.
    The width of the dough rectangles matters more than the length — I found I was usually able to roll mine about 14" long. If your dough rolls a bit longer or a bit shorter that's okay. Just make sure they're at least 10" long so you have plenty of length to get a nice spiral!
  • Roll it up. Roll the rectangle up into a tight spiral log, trying to keep the edges even using the sides of your hands to guide the dough as you roll.
  • Rise again. Place the rolled-up log of dough in a lightly greased small pullman loaf pan with the seam side on the bottom. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.

During the final 30 minutes of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Bake. Right before baking, take a toothpick or a long cake tester and poke 4-5 holes down the center of the loaf to allow steam to escape. Bake the cinnamon swirl bread in the center of a 350°F oven for 40-45 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 195° for doneness.
  • Cool. Carefully turn the baked loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. For best results, toast your cinnamon swirl bread slices before eating! This really wakes up the cinnamon sugar flavors.
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  1. Cheryl Dexter says

    I love your recipes and I enjoy trying your different types of bread. Would this recipe work with the addition of raisins?

    Reply

    • Rebecca Eisenberg says

      Adding raisins would be tricky — you usually need to rehydrate them in some way before adding them in. You can definitely give it a try, adding them to the cinnamon sugar swirl, but I haven't personally tried it yet so can't say how it will affect the final loaf! if you give it a try please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

    • Nandini says

      5 stars
      Did you try it with raisins coz I want to try as well!! Please let me know ☺️

      Reply

  2. Shelley says

    Would a regular 9” loaf pan work? Thanks for all your fantastic recipes!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Eisenberg says

      Yep! The spiral might spread a little wider since it doesn't have the perfectly vertical sides to support the sides of the loaf but a 9" pan will work just fine.

      Reply

      • Cheryl Dexter says

        I have not tried adding raisins. The bread is so delicious, I didn't want to chance ruining it by adding a "tricky" process.

        Reply

  3. Brenna says

    5 stars
    I couldn't being myself to wait to try this recipe. I made it without a scale or a spray bottle and had to use a glass loaf pan. It came out looking a little funky, but tasted delicious. I can't wait to make it again with all the correct equipment. Yum!

    Reply

  4. Megan says

    5 stars
    Made this recently for a board game night with friends—it did not survive the night. So delicious, and Rebecca’s instructions make it so easy to get that beautiful swirl!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Eisenberg says

      Hooray for the perfect swirl! So glad you and your friends liked it!

      Reply

  5. Samantha Franceschi says

    5 stars
    Absolutely lovely cinnamon swirl bread! I really appreciate how simple yet detailed your recipes are. The only minor adjustment I made was using pumpkin pie spice because that’s what I had on hand as opposed to just cinnamon.

    Reply

  6. Josephine says

    5 stars
    I love the cinnamon swirl loaf in the bread aisle so I was eager to try my hand at this one…thank you for simple directions and a delish recipe! I used a regular loaf pan (but just ordered a pullman pan) and it turned out great. The cinnamon sugar filling is just the right amount of sweet. This will be a repeat bake!

    Reply

  7. Jenbowd says

    5 stars
    I am a klutz at fussy baking, and past attempts at bread were failures. This recipe absolutely solved the problems for me! The recipe is clear, concise and easy to follow, and the photos were very helpful visual cues. I am grateful the measurements are given by weight rather than volume, and the specific temp to verify doneness was key. I did not have any trouble along the way. The loaf is beautiful, perfectly cooked, and delicious! I feel a cinnamon loaf coming up in my near future!

    Reply

  8. Leann says

    5 stars
    I just made this for the first time, and it came out great! I know that there were a few small errors on my part (such as not using up enough of the cinnamon sugar on the first layer of my spiral), and I ran into some sticking while trying to get the shaping right, but the bread was still magnificent and tasty! I'm sure that my future attempts will be even better, and there will definitely be future attempts.

    Reply

    • Rebecca Eisenberg says

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and persevered through the sticky dough! Next time try dusting down a tiny bit of flour first (but not too much or it won't roll out at all)!

      Reply

  9. Natalie says

    5 stars
    Have made this several times and it's so delicious

    Reply

  10. Marilyn says

    5 stars
    Loved this!! It was so easy to follow! My house smelled like cinnamon and it just felt so nice to know what’s in my bread! Also can I say I’m team scale!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Eisenberg says

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thank you as always for being part of Team Kitchen Scale!

      Reply

  11. Pauline says

    5 stars
    I made this loaf, it was the best I've had. Beats out even store bought bread. Rebecca has changed how I bake bread for my family. I am so so grateful to her for putting out this wonderful site and I can't wait for her book to come out.

    Reply