This Cinnamon Twist Bread is soft, tender and lightly sweetened with a swirl of cinnamon and brown sugar running throughout. It’s just as delicious as it is beautiful, and easy to make no matter what your bread-making skill level is at.
If you're looking for more cinnamon bread recipes, you can also try our classic cinnamon rolls, cinnamon raisin bread, and our einkorn cinnamon twists.
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Homemade Cinnamon Twist Bread
Don’t let the appearance fool you—this Cinnamon Twist Bread is easier to pull together than it looks. It’s basically like a cinnamon roll loaf, baked to gooey perfection and covered in homemade vanilla icing.
This family favorite tastes great warm out of the oven, or toasted with a little butter over the top. It’s perfect for holidays or brunch parties and is guaranteed to impress your guests. Lucky for you, this batch makes two loaves so you can always eat one and stash one in the freezer for later!
It’s hard to beat the smell of warm cinnamon rolls in the oven, and this recipe is yet another way to make that possible.
Key Ingredients
- Water - you want your water to be between 95-105 degrees F. This helps to activate the yeast.
- Sugar - you can also substitute honey if you would like.
- Yeast - we use active dry yeast in this recipe, which needs to be “proofed.”
- Olive Oil - you can also substitute any other cooking oil.
- Flour - we use all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can also substitute bread flour.
- Brown Sugar - we use dark brown sugar for this recipe as it gives a deep molasses flavor. You can easily substitute light brown sugar, as well.
- Cinnamon - any kind of ground cinnamon will work.
- Butter - use unsalted butter for this recipe for both the bread dough and the icing.
- Powdered Sugar - it’s a good idea to sift your powdered sugar because it has a tendency to clump.
How To Make Cinnamon Twist Bread
Mix the Dough
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add warm water (between 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit), sugar, and yeast. Stir, and let sit for 5-10, or until frothy.
- Add the oil, salt and about 3 cups of flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low for 1-2 minutes, or until the flour has all mixed in. Continue to add another 2 ½-3 cups of flour, mixing on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Mix for another 2 minutes on low, and add a little more flour if the dough feels sticky.
- Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
Braiding the Dough
- Once your dough has rested, transfer onto a lightly floured surface and separate into 2 equal pieces.
- Gently roll each piece of dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14" x 10". Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll each log up starting at the longer end so you have 2 long rolls. Use a sharp knife and cut down the center of each roll so you have four long halves total. Take 2 halves and pinch the ends on one side together, then twist the dough together loosely. Gently lay the cinnamon twist into your prepared 9”x5” loaf pan, tucking both ends under. Repeat with the other two halves.
Bake
- Cover both loaf pans with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled.
- Once they have doubled in size, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and baked through. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before removing from the loaf pans. While still warm, drizzle cinnamon roll icing over the bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You have a couple options if you want to make twist bread ahead of time. To make it the night before, you can finish the first three instructions and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator. The next morning, remove from the fridge and let the dough come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing to twist and shape.
Or, you ca freeze baked Cinnamon Twist Bread. It’s best if you can plan ahead by letting it cool completely and skipping the icing. Make sure to wrap in plastic and aluminum foil, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can thaw overnight in the fridge or else at room temperature.
You can eat it hot, warm, or room temperature. If you want to eat warm, you can either warm in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes, or else individual portions can be warmed in the microwave.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure and tuck the ends of each log of Cinnamon Twist Bread under in your loaf pans so that they don’t untwist.
- Using a sharp knife to slice each log of dough is important! If the knife is dull, it will pull and tear at the bread.
- Keep the flour on your work surface to a minimum. It will make twisting and sealing the bread a lot easier.
Cinnamon Twist Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 2½ cups water warm (95-105 degrees F)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ tablespoon salt
- 5½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add warm water (between 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit), sugar, and yeast. Stir, and let sit for 5-10, or until frothy.
- Add the oil, salt and about 3 cups of flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low for 1-2 minutes, or until the flour has all mixed in. Continue to add another 2 ½-3 cups of flour, mixing on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Mix for another 2 minutes on low, and add a little more flour if the dough feels sticky.
- Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, lightly spray two loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
- Once your dough has rested, transfer to a lightly floured surface and separate into 2 equal pieces.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll each piece of dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14" x 10". Brush each rectangle with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then sprinkle each with ¼ cup brown sugar and a half tablespoon of cinnamon, making sure they are evenly spread.
- Roll each log up starting at the longer end so you have 2 long rolls. Use a sharp knife and cut down the center of each roll so you have four long halves total. Take 2 halves and pinch the ends on one side together, then twist the dough together loosely. Gently lay the cinnamon twist into your prepared loaf pan, tucking both ends under. Repeat with the other two halves.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cover both loaf pans with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled.
- Once they have doubled in size, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and baked through. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before removing from the loaf pans. While still warm, drizzle cinnamon roll icing over the bread. Serve warm, or let the bread cool before slicing. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter. Beat on high using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, then turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and one tablespoon of milk. Mix until all the ingredients are combined, adding up to 1 more tablespoon of milk if necessary. Once all ingredients are combined, beat on high for another minute until the icing is light and fluffy.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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This Cinnamon Twist Bread is basically a cinnamon roll loaf, baked to gooey perfection and covered in homemade vanilla icing. It’s just as delicious as it is beautiful, and easier to pull together than it looks.
Lisa
This is an easy, impressive gift for neighbors during the holiday season, thank you 🙂
Leanna Wylie
My 12 year granddaughter made this on Tuesday!! We had such fun doing this together. It is a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. It is SO DELICIOUS. I will definitely be making it again.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
My family is going to love this! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Gina
This is such a treat on a weekend morning! We love it even more than cinnamon rolls!