This bread is basically a cinnamon roll in loaf form! It is delicious right after it's baked (just wait for an hour or so to let it cool), and leftovers toasts beautifully!
Is there a more crowd pleasing bread than cinnamon swirl? I think not.
This one is made using a sourdough starter, which means the dough will rise overnight to be shaped and baked the following day. The dough is soft, but still has enough body to hold up well to toasting, and the swirl is jam packed with cinnamon!
This bread will not last long! (At least, it never does in my house!)
The dough
This is an enriched dough, meaning it has milk, eggs, and butter in it. This makes for bread that is soft and rich!
Even though this is a fairly wet dough, I find it pretty easy to work with since the butter in it helps to prevent sticking.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the dough hook to knead this, but if you don't have one, you can certainly do it by hand!
The cinnamon swirl
There's plenty of sugar and plenty of cinnamon here, plus just a touch of flour.
The flour helps to thicken the cinnamon sugar so it stays where it's supposed to be during baking. King Arthur Flour also vouches for the addition of flour to help with the layers separating. I haven't seen much evidence to support that, but definitely a reason to not leave it out!
Shaping cinnamon swirl bread
This is one of my favorite loaves to shape!
Flatten your dough out onto your work surface, then use a rolling pin to roll it into a roughly 9 x 20-inch rectangle. You'll want to take lots of breaks here to make sure it isn't sticking underneath - lift the dough up periodically and add more flour if it is sticking at all.
Brush the surface with water (I use my hands for this!), then top with the cinnamon sugar, leaving one of the shorter ends uncovered at the last inch.
Then, starting at the opposite end, roll up your dough into a tight log. Pinch the edge to seal, pinch the edges and tuck under, and place seam-side down in a buttered loaf pan.
Preventing a gap
Some gapping is unavoidable in swirl breads, so my best tip here is to just embrace it!
Separation in swirl breads happens because steam forms when bread bakes, and that steam has to go somewhere.
I actually almost rephotographed this entire recipe because my loaf had so much gapping, but then I decided against it since the whole point of this blog is that sourdough is approachable and doable and that even if things go wonky, they are still delicious!
But here are some more tips for avoiding separation in your loaf:
- Form a tight loaf during shaping. If there is slack at the seam, it will do its best to separate during baking.
- Be careful not to under-proof your bread, particularly during the second rise. You'll want to go by visual cues here, rather than the time listed in the recipe (although, my hope is they match up!)
- Score the top. Use a sharp knife to poke a few holes about halfway through your loaf. This will give the steam an approved escape route, and will minimally affect your swirl.
Storage + leftovers
This bread is best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking. If you wait much longer than that, the gooey cinnamon swirl will start to affect the texture of the surrounding bread.
You'll also want to wait at least an hour after the bread comes out of the oven to let it cool before slicing it. Otherwise, you could damage the swirl.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 days (but again, it's best within the first 24 hours!).
This bread toasts really well, and also makes amazing French toast!
Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
- 160 grams milk
- 100 grams sourdough starter
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 24 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
- 5 grams salt
- 360 grams all purpose flour
For the Swirl
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flour
Directions
- Combine the milk, starter, butter, egg, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until no dry bits remain, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.Attach the dough hook and knead on LOW speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (It will still stick on the bottom - this is okay!) If it's too sticky, dust with more flour. Cover and rest until doubled in volume, about 8-12 hours. Generously butter a loaf pan. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten it out with your fingertips to get out any large air bubbles. Roll and stretch the dough into a roughly 9-by-20 inch rectangle. Check frequently to make sure it isn't sticking to your work surface! Add more flour as needed.Brush the surface with water, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1" boarder on one of the shorter edges. Starting on the opposite end, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the ends to seal and tuck under the loaf. Gently pull the loaf toward yourself to tighten it up, then place it - seam side down - into the loaf pan. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours, until it has risen over the top of the pan by about 1 inch. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven, until golden brown. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then (carefully!) invert to release, and cool for at least an hour on a wire rack before slicing.
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