Cinnamon Twist Bread

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.

Cinnamon Twist Bread is soft and pillowy and filled with a delicious brown sugar and cinnamon filling that is twisted into the bread. Serve this one with a pat of butter or use it for the best French Toast!

Side view of the insides of the cinnamon twist bread.

The Best Cinnamon Bread

Fresh homemade bread is one of my many food love languages. My mom taught me that over the years and I live by her motto. “You’ve got to have a fresh slice of bread every single time you make it. WITH butter.” Thanks, Mom, for teaching me the #1 rule of bread baking.

Why This Recipe Works:

A SIMPLE RECIPE – If you’re a bread baker, this is an easy recipe to make. You’ll need basic pantry staples that can easily be found in your local grocery store.
SOFT TEXTURE – We love the soft pillowy texture of this cinnamon bread recipe and you will too. The soft dough is amazing!
FULL OF FLAVOR – Who can resist a spin on cinnamon rolls? This sweet bread is basically a cinnamon roll twisted into a bread pan. The beauty is that you can easily toast it.
MAKES GREAT FRENCH TOAST – Give this recipe a try for your French toast. So good!

Overhead view of a loaf of cinnamon twist bread on a rack.

Ingredients Used:

Yeast – We use Red Star Active Yeast.
Granulated Sugar
Milk – You can use 1%, 2%, or whole milk.
Water
Unsalted Butter
All-Purpose Flour
Salt
Cinnamon Filling – A combo of unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.

The labeled ingredients for the cinnamon bread.

The labeled ingredients for the cinnamon filling.

You do not need a fancy mixer to make rolls. This can be made by hand as well, using a large mixing bowl and a little bit of muscle.

How to make Braided Cinnamon Bread:

Follow our step-by-step instructions to make the best Cinnamon Twist Bread!

Step 1
Activate yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar, warm milk, and warm water (between 100-110 degrees f). Use a rubber spatula to stir it up. Then let the yeast mixture sit for 15 minutes or until you see lots of bubbles and foam.

A mixer with the wet ingredients for th dough.

Step 2
Add butter. Then add the melted butter and stir well.

Step 3
Add dry ingredients. Add the kosher salt and about four cups of the flour to the bowl. Attach a dough hook and start mixer on low speed. Let the mixer do the work and occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 4
Continue adding flour until you get the right consistency. If you measure the ingredients in grams, you’ll most likely need about 1/2 cup more of flour. But use your best judgment when adding the remaining flour.

You want the dough to partially pull away from the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky to the touch.

Step 5
Add dough to a bowl and let dough rest. Place dough ball into a greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen until doubled in size. The time will vary. Here in Texas, our humid conditions allow bread to rise very quickly. You’ll need to adjust this to your individual conditions.

Step 6
Divide dough and add fillings. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough in half and spread one portion out into an oval shape on a lightly floured surface. No need to press it to flat. Add half of the butter to the top of the section of dough.

Step 7
Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Then add half of the brown sugar and half of the ground cinnamon.

The bread dough on a board flattened out with brown sugar and cinnamon on top.

Step 8
Roll dough up and slice. Roll the dough section up and then use a knife to slice it in half lengthwise (leaving one end intact).

A board with halved cinnamon bread dough.

Step 9
Twist the dough. Then twist the two sections of dough around each other and press the sides in to make it roughly the same size.

Repeat shaping process with the remaining dough section.

Step 10
Place dough in pan. Spray two bread pans with baking spray and place each twist in the pans. Cover with a clean towel.

Step 11
Do second rise. Let the cinnamon dough rise until it pops over the lip of the pan (about doubled in size).

Two loaf pans of the dough before rising.

Step 12
Bake. Then bake the bread in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until browned on the top and baked through.

Step 13
Cool. Transfer bread to a wire cooling rack. Use a pastry brush to add some butter to the top of the loaves. Let cool.

Wait to slice the dough. If you slice bread when it’s still warm, you might find the texture to be somewhat gummy or doughy. This is because the interior of the bread is still in the process of setting, and cutting into it too soon can disrupt this process.

Optional: Make a simple vanilla icing to add to the top of the bread. You’ll need a simple combo of butter, half and half, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Side view of two loafs of cinnamon bread.

Recipe FAQs:

Can I make cinnamon twist bread ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this ahead of time! We recommend baking it and freezing after it cools. Wrap cooled bread up in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.

How do I store leftover bread?

I normally slice the bread and place in a storage bag. Then just take one slice out at a time. We love it with butter and/or jam!

Can cinnamon bread be used for French toast?

Yes, this bread makes fantastic French toast! Dip bread in a mixture of milk and eggs, fry it in some oil or butter, and then serve with toppings of your choice.

How are active dry yeast and instant yeast different?

Active Dry Yeast – A type of dry yeast that’s granular, similar to cornmeal. This yeast is a living organism that’s dormant until proofed, requiring a small amount of lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar to activate. Since we live in a humid environment here in Texas, active dry yeast works perfectly for me.
Instant Yeast – Also known as quick-rise, rapid-rise yeast, or even bread machine yeast. This yeast is milled into smaller particles so it doesn’t need to be dissolved into water. The dough rises faster with this yeast because enzymes and other additives are included to make this happen. You don’t ever need to do more than one rise with this yeast.

Possible Reasons your dough isn’t rising:

You’re using old yeast. Be sure to look at the expiration date on your yeast. Use fresh yeast, or keep it in the freezer. I buy a large quantity and store it in the freezer for months (and give it away to friends). 🙂
You didn’t use warm water (or milk) to activate the yeast. When proofing yeast, it is important to use warm liquid. Hot liquid kills the yeast, and cold liquid won’t activate it.
The temperature of your home is too cold. Since we live in Texas, this never happens to me, but if you are in a very cold climate and aren’t heating your home enough, that could cause your dough to be stagnant.
Your dough is too heavy. This can be caused by using too much flour or by using too many whole grains. It’s best to keep your dough slightly sticky, and I recommend using some all-purpose flour to lighten up grainier bread.
You’re making it by hand and not kneading it enough. I’ve never made cinnamon rolls by hand, but if you do, you’re going to need to use some muscles to get it to rise. Make sure you spend some time kneading it with your hands.

Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes:

Let’s see how many ways we can make cinnamon rolls, shall we?

A plate with two slices of cinnamon twist bread.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue