Rolled and twisted, this simple 8 ingredient bread dough transforms into an absolutely irresistible cinnamon crunch bread. Roll the dough up with a butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar filling, then create a crunch topping made from the same ingredients. Each bite is buttery, soft, and flaky with an unbelievable cinnamon sugar crunch crust on top.
When I made my first successful loaf of homemade cheese bread, I knew the recipe would be an instant hit with readers. After publishing it as a Sally’s Baking Challenge recipe few years ago, it’s consistently been the most popular bread recipe on this website—alongside our beloved sandwich bread. I mean, what could be better than cheese and homemade bread?
Well well well…
Readers asked if they can use the same dough to make a sweet version, so I tweaked the recipe and swapped cheese for cinnamon. Then I topped the whole thing with a cinnamon crunch topping. (Ever have a Panera Bread cinnamon crunch bagel? Like that!)
And then I wondered why I’d been making it with cheese for so long. TALK ABOUT AN UPGRADE!
Tell Me About This Cinnamon Crunch Bread
- Flavor: The bread crumb is wonderfully buttery and sweet—definitely a breakfast or dessert bread. This is a lot like cinnamon swirl bread, but we’re using brown sugar and there’s extra twisting so you get more pockets of cinnamon swirl in each slice.
- Texture: Because we have fat in the dough the bread is extra soft and flaky, almost like croissant bread. And using bread flour promises extra chew. These textures are the perfect contrast to the crunchy cinnamon crumbles on top. Each bite has something different—I know you’ll love that. It looks just like babka, but it’s not nearly as rich as, say, our apple cinnamon babka.
- Ease: There’s no arguing that homemade bread takes a little effort. But consider this a fun weekend or afternoon baking project. The dough is pretty straightforward and you use the same ingredients in both the cinnamon swirl filling AND cinnamon crunch topping. If you’re new to baking with yeast, review my Baking with Yeast Guide. Lots of helpful information there!
- Time: This dough requires 1 long rise, then a shorter 2nd rise. Once you understand the assembly process, the recipe moves pretty quickly. Set aside at least 4 hours from start to finish, but keep in mind most of that time is hands off as the dough rises.
If you are craving twisty cinnamon goodness, but don’t have time to let the dough rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls.
Overview: How to Make Cinnamon Crunch Bread
The following is an overview to help you understand the process before you get started. You’ll find the full printable recipe below.
- Make & knead the dough. You need 8 ingredients for the dough and I don’t recommend any substitutions. For soft, flavorful, and chewy cinnamon crunch bread, use a combination of buttermilk and water. Nondairy, whole, or low fat milks work too, but buttermilk produces phenomenal flavor and texture. The dough is flimsy and shaping is difficult if you use ALL milk, so that’s why we use some milk and some water. You also need yeast, sugar, butter, egg, salt, and bread flour.
- Let dough rise. This takes about 1.5-2 hours.
- Assemble the bread. If you’re a visual learner, watch me assemble the bread in the above video. It’s exactly how we shape Nutella babka and homemade cheese bread too.
- Let shaped bread rest for about 30 minutes as you prepare the cinnamon crunch topping and preheat the oven. It will slightly rise during this time. For the cinnamon crunch topping, whisk brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter and a touch of flour together.
- Spoon cinnamon crunch topping all over bread, then bake. In the written recipe below, I recommend placing a baking sheet on a lower oven rack to catch any cinnamon sugar that may drip down as the bread bakes.
Step-By-Step Photos
Make and knead the dough, then let it rise:
Punch down the risen dough, then roll out into rectangle. Spread extra soft butter on top, then sprinkle with your brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Tightly roll it up cinnamon roll style. Place the log on its seam, then cut the log in half lengthwise using a sharp knife.
Criss-cross one half on top of the other half forming an X. Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can, then place into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Let the dough rest and prepare the cinnamon crunch topping:
Can I Use This Cinnamon Crunch Topping on Bagels?
Yes yes and yes! This cinnamon crunch topping would be awesome on homemade bagels. Double the cinnamon crunch topping to ensure you have enough for an entire batch of bagels. After brushing the bagels with the egg wash in step 9 in that recipe, spoon cinnamon crunch topping on each before baking.
Testing the limit on “how much cinnamon swirl is too much cinnamon swirl?” Don’t pass up trying this because it’s even more ridiculously good than it looks!!
Print
Cinnamon Crunch Bread
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a basic soft bread dough that’s rolled, twisted, filled, and topped with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It looks like a lot of ingredients but the filling and topping ingredients are mostly the same. Read the recipe before starting so you’re prepared for the rolling and twisting step.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, warmed to about 110°F
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water, warmed to about 110°F
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (390g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for hands/work surface
Filling
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra soft
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Crunch Topping
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour or bread flour
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm buttermilk, warm water, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top.
- Add the remaining sugar, the butter, egg, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle.*
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat on low speed for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 9×15 inch rectangle (approximately).
- For the filling: Spread softened butter all over the top of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered. The softer the butter is, the easier it is to spread in this step. (Microwave it for a few seconds to soften if needed.) Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly all over the butter.
- Roll and twist the dough: If you need a visual, watch the video to see exactly how I do this step. Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half on top of the other half– forming an X. Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can. Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. (This step can get a little messy!) Allow the covered loaf to rest for 30 minutes. It will slightly rise during this time.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any cinnamon/sugar that may drip down. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- For the cinnamon crunch topping: Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Spoon over loaf right before baking.
- Bake: Bake until golden brown and, when gently tapped, the top of the loaf sounds hollow, about 45-55 minutes. The top browns quickly as it bakes, so tent the entire loaf with aluminum foil. (I usually place foil on top after about 20 minutes.) Remove finished bread the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool loaf on the wire rack.
- Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Leftover slices taste delicious when warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds. Topping tends to lose its crunch after a day or 2.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: Prepare the dough through step 3. Place into a greased bowl as directed in step 4. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 15 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 1-2 more hours. Continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bread the night before as it will puff up too much overnight.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: Baked bread freezes wonderfully. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped bread overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bread dough. After punching down the dough in step 6, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 6.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9×5 Inch Loaf Pan | Wire Cooling Rack
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk provides the softest texture and unbeatable flavor. In a pinch, you can use whole milk instead. Lower fat or nondairy milks can work too, but the bread won’t taste as moist or rich. Here are other recipes using buttermilk if you purchase a carton and need to use it up.
- Yeast: I usually use instant yeast in this dough, but you can use active dry yeast instead if needed. No changes to the recipe, except the rise time will be at least 2 hours in step 4 if using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Bread Flour: Higher protein flour like bread flour is best for this bread recipe because of its strong gluten formation and high rise. You can use all-purpose flour instead if needed, but for absolute best taste and texture, I recommend bread flour.
Keywords: cinnamon, bread, cinnamon crunch bread
Hi! I was wondering if this recipe is ok to double? I’d like to make 1 cheddar loaf and 1 cinnamon crunch loaf in one fell swoop.
Hi Barbara! We always recommend making two batches instead of doubling for absolute best results.
We have an egg allergy in our family, I’m wondering if a flax egg would work in this recipe or if the egg could just be left out??
Hi Kim, we haven’t tested this recipe with a flax egg or any egg substitutes, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you try anything, and if you’re interested, here are all of our naturally egg-free recipes.
I’ve been living in Germany for 3 months and this delicious bread was the first thing I made when I returned home. So good and addicting.
★★★★★
Great recipe! My twisting skills need some work…lol. Easy to make. Soft and light loaf. Great tasting!
★★★★★
Loved both the cheese and cinnamon crunch version. Any tips for new fillings or any new variation recipes coming out?
★★★★★
Hi Lauryn! The sky is really the limit with flavors for these breads. You could try a nutella version, a chocolate version, one with fruit jam, different combinations of cheeses and herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Let us know what you try!
Hi Sally, making this a 2nd (or 3rd!) time and am wondering if I can make it without doing the twist? Just roll up like sandwich bread. Tia!
★★★★★
Hi Ellen, you certainly can! Hope you enjoy.
I love this recipe it was simple to make and a pleasure to eat
This recipe was fantastic. My bread came out terrific. Great instructions. Definitely worth the time and effort. The flavor is amazing. So delicious. My whole family enjoyed it. Will certainly make it again and again. Thanks
Sally, I have made this yummy cinnamon crunch bread before and always loved it!
This time I added finely chopped roasted pecans to the filling and topping and also put golden raisins in the filling! Oh my goodness!!! This is beyond delicious! I needed to add a tad more melted butter, about a teaspoon and a half, to the topping because of the addition of the chopped pecans. I chopped then about like the ones in Russian Tea Cakes.
I gave my niece a spoon of the topping and she practically swooned!!!
★★★★★
I have made this cinnamon crunch bread 4 times now and it is fantastic. I keep making mistakes with the recipe but it is very forgiving and always comes out delicious so new bakers do not be afraid to try this recipe.
Delicious! Made it today and it tastes amazing! The buttermilk adds a nice tangy flavor. I have to work on my twisting skills for the next bake. Excited to warm some up for breakfast tomorrow!
★★★★★
Dough was dry after rising, after baking the end was dry but inside was more moist but not as moist as expected. Will try again.
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! Very soft and moist, the flavor is perfect. My family gobbled it up!
★★★★★
I just made this for the second time. I’ve been adding raisins and Pecans. My wife absolutely love this. another home run Sally. thank you.
★★★★★
I tried making this bread today. I carefully measured or weighed my ingredients and used a thermometer for the liquids and I did use bread flour. I’m not sure what I did wrong but it did not rise after 5 hours.I know my yeast is fine because I made a loaf of plain white bread also and it rose just fine. Any suggestions, it looks delicious ??
★★
Hi Denise! Did it not rise at all? Perhaps the dough could have used a warmer rising environment. Our baking with yeast guide should be helpful – see the section titled “What if My Dough Isn’t Rising?”
It maybe rose very slightly but then quit. I had it in a warm area.
Hi! I like to measure The temperature of the liquid by starting with cold water, microwave it for one minute. When it feels like “warm bath water” it’s good! Add a little bit of sugar to the yeast and liquid mix.
I make this and call it a Babka filled with chocolate like a challah recipe
This looks fabulous and I can’t wait to try it – can I use my bread machine for the first part?
Hi Ellen, we haven’t tested this recipe in a bread machine but we can’t see why not. Hope you enjoy it!
I make non-bread machine recipes all the time in my bread machine on the dough cycle with excellent results!
I’ve made this bread so many times, the recipe and directions are perfect. I now make a double batch every time because it disappears! It’s now my husband and sons request for their birthday cake!
★★★★★
This was hands down the best cinnamon bread I’ve ever had. You’ll need to lock it up to prevent gobbling it up in one sitting.
★★★★★
You have made this recipe at least 20x. I even made one for each of my dinner couple friends. We all love it. It is amazing!!
★★★★★
Ugh this bread is SO GOOD. Could this be made into a couple smaller loaves? Not sure if you can do this with yeast bread.
★★★★★
Hi Bailey, that should work just fine. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it will depend on the size of your loaves. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
This is super yummy, so easy. Question Can I use this recipe and make a pesto bread?
★★★★★
Hi Nancy! We would use this savory cheese bread as a base instead – let us know if you give it a try!
..this is my fourth time playing with bread recipes …I’m not afraid of them anymore … so thank you Sally..I will make this again..,the only thing I need to practice is that tight roll but besides that …it tastes really good ..will I make this again …you bet
★★★★★
I have made this recipe at least 6 times. I use it for college parties, I love it and so do my friends!
★★★★★