Cinnamon twist bread is a next-level cinnamon bread recipe. If you can make cinnamon rolls, then you can make this delicious cinnamon bread!
It’s hard to beat fresh-baked cinnamon bread that’s full of buttery cinnamon sugar filling. That’s exactly what this cinnamon twist bread is.
This bread is basically cinnamon rolls but in loaf-form. And what’s better than that!
Since it’s twist bread, it also makes a really pretty loaf of cinnamon bread. If you’re looking for another version of this bread, check out my Braided Cinnamon Bread.
The twist is incredibly easy to do (check out the pictures just below). Really, if you can roll up cinnamon rolls, you can make this bread.
“So delicious! This was my first time baking bread from scratch and it was so fun to do. It tastes so similar to the cinnamon twist bread at Trader Joe’s which is what I was hoping for. Thanks so much!” – Mo
What makes this cinnamon bread so good?
- Plenty of cinnamon sugar: The twist creates yummy pockets of cinnamon sugar deliciousness inside this bread. And the cinnamon sugar mixture that bakes on the top of the bread gets this caramelized crunch to it. It’s a pretty amazing combination of gooey, crunchy, cinnamon, and sugar!
- Easy: I made this cinnamon twist bread recipe with the busy holiday season in mind. So each rise is less than 30 minutes, and the whole process – start to finish – takes about as long as the first rise on a traditional loaf. That way, you can make this bread (and enjoy it) even faster.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: I usually use 1% or 2% milk in this recipe. Whole milk or skim milk will also work.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Instant yeast: You can use an equal amount of active dry yeast. If using active dry yeast, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let it proof before continuing with the recipe.
- Warm water: It’s important that the water not be too hot. Hot water can kill the yeast, and then your bread won’t rise. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, the water should feel like warm bath water. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar. Feel free to use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
How to make cinnamon twist bread
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, stir milk, sugar, and butter together.
Step 3: Heat over low heat just until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Cool to about 100-105 F.
Step 5: Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix this dough by hand. Just use a large mixing bowl.
Step 6: Add the yeast and warm water.
Step 7: Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for about 1 minute. If mixing by hand, add an additional 1-2 minutes of mixing time.
Step 8: With the mixer still going, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time. Mix about 1 ½ minutes, or until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. If mixing by hand, add an additional 1-2 minutes of mixing time.
Step 9: Knead on low speed for about 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic – the dough will still be slightly sticky to the touch. If mixing by hand, add 2-3 minutes of additional kneading time.
Step 10: Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top.
Step 11: Cover the dough with a clean, dry dish towel. Let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 25 minutes.
Step 11: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 12×9-inch rectangle.
Step 12: Stir filling ingredients together, and spread over dough. Since the filling is a little crumbly, I gently press it into the dough to help it stick.
Step 13: Roll up lengthwise, pinching seam to seal.
Step 14: Using a sharp knife, cut down the middle of the roll, leaving one end attached.
Step 15: Twist the bread end over end and place in prepared pan, tucking ends under the loaf.
Step 16: Cover the baking dish with the dish towel, and let the dough rise for about 20 minutes, or until the loaf is just reaching the top of the pan.
Step 17: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 18: Bake at 45-60 minutes, or until the bread is ready. If the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
Step 19: Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Serving suggestions
This bread is great as-is and is fantastic served slathered with butter. This cinnamon bread makes wonderful toast and can even be used to make French toast.
Storage
The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
More cinnamon recipes!
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Cinnamon Twist Bread
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water 105F – 115F
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter softened
Instructions
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, stir milk, sugar, and butter together. Heat over low heat just until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to about 100-105 F.
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the yeast and warm water.
- Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for about 1 minute.
- With the mixer still going, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix about 1 ½ minutes, or until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl.
- Knead on low speed for about 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic – the dough will still be slightly sticky to the touch.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover the dough with a clean, dry dish towel.
- Let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 25 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 12×9-inch rectangle.
- Stir filling ingredients together, and spread over dough. Since the filling is a little crumbly, I gently press it into the dough to help it stick.
- Roll up lengthwise, pinching seam to seal.
- Using a sharp knife, cut down the middle of the roll, leaving one end attached.
- Twist the bread end over end and place in prepared pan, tucking ends under the loaf.
- Cover the baking dish with the dish towel, and let the dough rise for about 20 minutes, or until the loaf is just reaching the top of the pan.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet or rimmed baking tray.
- Bake at 45-60 minutes, or until the bread is ready. If the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
- Milk: I usually use 1% or 2% milk in this recipe. Whole milk or skim milk will also work.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Instant yeast: You can use an equal amount of active dry yeast. If using active dry yeast, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let it proof before continuing with the recipe.
- Warm water: It’s important that the water not be too hot. Hot water can kill the yeast, and then your bread won’t rise. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, the water should feel like warm bath water. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar. Feel free to use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 11/17/17. This post is regularly updated.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
John says
Good recipe except the dough needs a little salt, which you can tell if you’re a bread eater. Added a teaspoon of salt on the second go and it came out much better
Kate says
Hi! I use salted butter. That, along with the salt that the recipe calls for in the dough, was enough for our tastes. However, you can always adjust the amount of salt to fit your tastes.
Stuart Oppenheim says
The recipe says to roll lengthwise, which I take to mean that you roll up on the long side, resulting in a 12 inch (or so) log. But the video on the website shows rolling up the short side, which would be easier to load into the pan but doesn’t agree with the term, “roll up lengthwise” or the recommendation for similar loaves that you roll up as if for cinnamon rolls.
Also, I made this a few times and it seemed to rise a bit over the pan, but recently it has only risen to the top of the pan and then didn’t rise at all. I like a taller loaf so am trying to figure out what I have done differently
Kate says
The recipe and the photos above the recipe are correct. The part where the video shows rolling it up from the shorter side is incorrect.
Without knowing more about what happened, it’s difficult to say. Since it’s a rising issue, that usually means yeast. It could be that the yeast has lost some of its efficacy. It may be that your kitchen it cooler which has led to a slower rise. If you think it’s the latter, I can offer some recommendations for that.
Emily Hobbs says
This is such a fun recipe to make. Everyone loves it!
Kate says
Thank you!
Emily Hobbs says
I love giving as Christmas gifts, everyone loves it!