Dorothy Kern
Homemade Cinnamon Bread is an easy homemade white bread recipe full of cinnamon sugar! It’s the BEST homemade bread with a cinnamon swirl.
This post has been sponsored by Fleischmann’s Yeast® and their beginner recipe helped me make this easy cinnamon bread. I never knew making bread could be this easy!
For all the baking I do, it might surprise you that making homemade bread is something I’ve only done a handful of times. I’m not sure why I’m scared of making bread, but making this homemade cinnamon bread has definitely helped me get over my fears.
(If I’m being honest; one of my fears about making homemade bread is that it’s SO EASY to do I’ll make it all the time and then eat loaves and loaves of warm crusty carbs.)
After making this easy white bread recipe I’m afraid to report that making bread is now one of my favorite things to do. If you’re a beginner bread maker or are scared of yeast and baking your own bread, don’t be. I’m going to show you step-by-step how EASY it is to make your own bread at home.
You can make this cinnamon bread as plain white bread, but I decided to step-it-up a notch and make cinnamon bread. Jordan eats a piece of cinnamon swirl toast every morning, so it was natural to try and make it from scratch.
Two things have always scared me when I’ve thought about making homemade bread:
- Working with yeast.
- All the time it takes, rising and kneading.
I’m here to tell you today that both of those two are complete myths.
Actually, working with yeast is very easy, especially when you use Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast. That little yeast packet knocks both of my fears out of the water.
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast is easier to use because you don’t need to proof it: you just mix it into the dry ingredients. Proofing yeast is what always has scared me about it but by using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, that fear is gone.
The other reason I like this yeast? The term “Rapid Rise” is true; there are only two rising periods but they only total an hour. You give the dough a 10 minute rest and then let it rise 45 minutes before baking; making homemade cinnamon bread is no longer an all day affair.
What kind of yeast is best to make bread?
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast is the one I recommend. Simply add it to the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and whisk it together.
What ingredients are used to make homemade bread?
Besides the yeast, you’re going to add milk, water, and butter to a measuring cup or bowl. Then heat that in the microwave in 15 second increments until it’s very warm.
I highly recommend an instant-read thermometer when working with yeast. It helps take the guesswork out!
Heat the milk mixture to between 120°-130°F, or very warm if you’re going by touch. (The butter may not melt all the way.)
Once you have the milk hot enough, add it to the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Do you have to use a stand mixer to make homemade bread?
No, but it helps. If you’re using a stand mixer, you’re going to beat it for 2 minutes, then add more flour, mix for 2 more minutes, then add more flour until it becomes a ball. Using a stand mixer also helps with kneading; you’ll only need to knead this bread for about 6-8 minutes.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, don’t worry. Mix it with a hand mixer or by hand until you can’t anymore, then knead it, adding flour, until it forms a ball that springs back when pressed with two fingers.
Then, let it rest for just 10 minutes. Using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast shaves off a ton of time!
This bread recipe makes two loaves, so cut the dough in half.
Then you get to decide if you want plain white bread or homemade cinnamon bread.
How do you make cinnamon bread?
Simply roll out your dough into a rectangle. Then brush with melted butter.
Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
If you’re making plain white bread, you’ll skip the butter and sugar step, but you still roll out the dough into a rectangle.
Tightly roll up the dough and place each piece in a bread pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to lace it seam side down in the pan.
Cover it and let it rise about 45 minutes. It’ll about double in size.
Tip: put it in a warm place for rising. I like to preheat my oven and place the pans on the top of the stove.
Then simply bake until golden brown. You do need to wait at least 5-10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan…and resist the urge to cut it too soon.
Warm cinnamon bread is the perfect breakfast with or without melted butter on top. We didn’t even need it toasted; just warm from the oven.
Luckily, we had a friend to give one loaf too. The other one didn’t last the day!
Making homemade bread is so simple, you’ll be doing it in no time.
Also find the Beginner’s White Bread recipe at Fleischmann’s® Yeast!
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Homemade Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 packets Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast 4 1/2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until blended. Combine water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). Add to flour mixture.
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.
- Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin. Brush each piece with melted butter. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar for the filling and sprinkle on each rectangle.
- Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Homemade Dinner Rolls are another easy bread recipe!
Cheesy Ranch Breadsticks are one of our favorite side dishes!
Looking for another sweet bread? Check out my homemade monkey bread!
All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
Published on: December 20, 2018
Wow, this looks wonderful. Can’t wait to try it
thank you for this great content..
I’ve been making bread for years and your method looks easy. I use regular yeast and let the dough rise twice. It takes a little longer but I find it to be worth the wait as it makes the dough light and fluffy. Your recipe for the cinnamon bread looks yummy and I’ll be making it today. Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll be trying your method.
I made this the other day and it was wonderful! Now I’m back to add the recipe to my recipe book!
Traditionally my spouse and I give everyone a homemade loaf of bread for the holidays, and I think this year we’re going to give them all cinnamon bread made from this recipe. It’s so quick and delicious. I know everyone is going to love it!
Great recipe. Cinnamon Bread
Followed to a T. Both loaves turned out spectacular. Very soft and very tasty. I’m hoping it freezes well as store bought cinnamon swirl bread.
Super easy. Thank u for sharing!