Go Back
Cinnamon Swirl Bread in a pan
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

Potato Milk Bread Dough

  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml whole milk
  • 1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
  • 1/4 cup / 50g sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups / 425g all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Salt Co. Baking Salt

Cinnamon Filling

Cream Cheese Icing

Instructions

To Make the Dough

  • In a large bowl, using a spoon or Danish dough whisk, stir together the egg, milk, yeast, and sugar. Add the flour, potato starch and baking salt and mix until well combined.
    Pro Tip: No need to knead, it will look a bit shaggy, but should be well combined with no bits of dry flour.
  • Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
    Pro Tip: If your kitchen is cool, put the dough into the oven with just the light on.
  • Reach into the bowl with a plastic bowl scraper and stretch the sides of the dough up and over the center of the dough, it may take about 4 or 5 times to move all the way around the bowl, creating a loose ball. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and allow to rest for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • Once doubled, turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 15x24-inch-rectangle, which is about 1/4 inch thick.

Make the Cinnamon Filling

  • In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and Baking Salt.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread the filling evenly over the rolled-out dough.
  • Starting at the long end of the dough, roll it into a log. Pinch the seam shut. Flip the seam side down.*(see notes for shaping traditional cinnamon buns)
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half down the length of the log, stopping just short of the end.
  • To create the swirl, overlap the two pieces of dough, keeping the cut side up at all times, so the filling won’t fall out. Once the bread is twisted all the way to the bottom, pinch the ends together. Cut the end that you left intact, then twist and pinch together that end.
  • Wind the ends into the center, going in opposite directions to create two opposing spirals.
  • Butter a 12-inch skillet and place the swirled dough into it. Cover with plastic and allow to rest for about 1 hour** or until it puffs up and when you poke the dough it no longer springs back.
    Pro Tip: If your kitchen is cool, put the dough into the oven with just the light on.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rack should be in the middle of the oven.
  • Place the skillet on a baking sheet and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until caramel brown on top and set in the middle.
    Pro Tip: If the dough on top starts to get too brown, loosely drape a sheet of foil over the top. Don’t tuck it around the dough or you will steam the bread.

Make the Cream Cheese Icing

  • While the bread is baking, mix together the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, zest, and Baking Salt until smooth.
  • As soon as the swirl bread comes out of the oven spread half the icing over the top. Serve the swirl bread warm with the remaining icing.

Video

Notes

* Traditional Cinnamon Rolls - Once the dough and cinnamon filling are rolled into a log, cut 12 equal pieces. Place the pieces, cut side up in the prepared pan. Follow the resting and baking directions above. 
**Overnight Rise for early morning baking - Once the shaped dough is in the pan and covered, you can refrigerate it for 8 to 14 hours (overnight) and bake in the morning. Pull the covered dough out of the refrigerator to rest on the counter while the oven preheats. Once the oven is preheated, bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. It may take even longer if the dough is particularly cold, every refrigerator is different.