Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Before you start

Cinnamon swirl bread is an enriched sandwich loaf, not a cinnamon roll in a pan. The crumb should be soft and even, and the filling should sit in a thin, continuous spiral that stays attached to the bread around it when you slice and toast it.

The classic failure is a hollow gap between the layers. It forms when a greasy filling (melted butter plus sugar) melts in the oven and stops the dough from fusing to itself. This version brushes the dough with beaten egg instead of butter, adds a spoon of flour to the cinnamon sugar so it soaks up moisture, and rolls the dough tightly from the short end so the spiral has no slack.

Ingredients

• Dough390 g (3¼ cups) bread flour
• 40 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 1 large egg — room temperature
• 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — very soft
• Filling65 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour — keeps the filling from turning syrupy
• 1 large egg — beaten with 1 tbsp water; half for the filling layer, half for the top

Method

1. Combine the bread flour, 40 g sugar, yeast and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the warm milk and the egg and mix on low until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the soft butter a spoonful at a time and knead on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl, feel tacky but not sticky, and stretch into a thin translucent sheet without tearing.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let it rise at warm room temperature, about 24°C (75°F), until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
4. Stir the filling sugar, cinnamon and flour together. Grease the loaf pan.
5. Press the risen dough flat to remove large bubbles, then roll it into a rectangle 23 cm (9 in) wide and about 45 cm (18 in) long. Keep the thickness even; thin spots tear and thick ends make a lopsided spiral.
6. Brush the dough with a thin coat of the beaten egg, leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in) strip bare at the far short end. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the egg and press it lightly with your palm.
7. Starting from the near short end, roll the dough up snugly, tucking and tightening with each turn. Pinch the seam firmly along its length and pinch the ends closed. Set it seam side down in the pan.
8. Cover and proof until the dome rises about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the rim, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower-middle position during the last 20 minutes.
9. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting with foil after 25 minutes if it is browning fast. The loaf is done at 88 to 90°C (190 to 195°F) in the center and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
10. Turn the loaf out onto a rack after 5 minutes and let it cool completely, about 2 hours. Slicing warm compresses the crumb and smears the swirl.

Tips for success

• Use a ruler for the rectangle. A 23 cm width matches the pan exactly, so the spiral runs end to end with no folded-over ends.
• Brush the egg thinly. A puddle of egg makes the filling wet, and wet filling is almost as likely to gap as butter.
• If the dough springs back while rolling, cover it and let it relax for 10 minutes, then roll again.

Substitutions

Bread flour

All-purpose flour works with 15 ml (1 tbsp) less milk. The loaf rises a little lower and the crumb is softer and less springy.

Granulated sugar in the filling

Light brown sugar gives a deeper, more caramel taste, but it is moister. Keep the tablespoon of flour and press it down well, or the swirl may separate.

Whole milk

2% milk or unsweetened oat milk both work. The crust browns a little less and the crumb is slightly less tender.

Variations

Cardamom swirl

Replace half the cinnamon with ground cardamom and add the grated zest of 1 orange to the dough.

Cinnamon swirl with a streusel top

Skip the final egg wash. Scatter a rubbed mix of 30 g flour, 30 g brown sugar and 20 g cold butter over the loaf before baking and tent it at 20 minutes.

Troubleshooting

A gap opens between the swirl layers

The filling was greasy or wet, or the roll was loose. Use egg instead of butter under the sugar, add flour to the filling, and roll tightly with no air pockets.

The top crust separates from the loaf like a lid

The loaf was underproofed and burst upward in the oven. Let it proof until it is a full 2.5 cm above the rim and springs back slowly when pressed.

Filling leaked and burned on the pan

The ends or seam were not sealed. Pinch the seam hard and fold the pinched ends under before panning.

Center is gummy near the swirl

The loaf came out too early. Check the internal temperature rather than the crust color; aim for at least 88°C (190°F).

Storage

Wrap the cooled loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice it, freeze the slices in a bag for up to 3 months and toast them straight from the freezer.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough or filling; uncooked flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria until baked. Contains wheat, milk and egg.