This homemade cinnamon roll bread is made by baking mini cinnamon rolls in a loaf pan for soft layers of butter + brown sugar in each bite. And a quick glaze drizzled on top makes it the perfect sweet breakfast or afternoon treat.
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I Turned My Favorite Cinnamon Rolls Into Sweet Yeast Bread
Homemade cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite breakfast pastries, so baking them in a loaf pan for an elevated treat just felt natural. Inspired by my raisin cinnamon rolls, I created this easy cinnamon roll loaf recipe with everything I love about classic cinnamon rolls including that cinnamon + brown sugar-swirled filling and soft, fluffy texture. I usually serve it warm with glaze & a hot mug of coffee.
I initially tested this recipe by making one giant cinnamon swirl in the loaf. But after playing around in the kitchen, I prefer it sliced into mini cinnamon rolls and baked together, so there are lots of swirls in every slice without any gaps. But if you want something even simpler, my cinnamon pull apart bread has the same cozy flavors with less shaping.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let's Bake this Recipe
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the warm milk, yeast, and sugar.
2. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Mix in the yeast mixture, eggs, and butter. Knead the dough.
5. Roll out the dough.
7. Roll into a giant log.
9. Arrange in a loaf pan & proof.
4. Let the dough rise at room temperature & double in size.
6. Spread the filling.
8. Cut into 1-inch rolls.
10. Bake the loaf & drizzle with glaze.
Carissa's Baking Tip
I tested this loaf by arranging the cinnamon rolls in alternating directions as well as in two even rows. It's up to you, but I prefer the more rustic appearance of the first way!
Tips for Bakery-Style Cinnamon Bread
- Glaze: I highly recommend adding the glaze on top since it soaks into the bread and keeps it moist.
- Avoid Dry Bread: At first my bread came out dry and crumbly, so I bumped up the hydration of the dough by doubling the amount of milk.
- Avoid Gummy Bread: Another test loaf came out a little doughy in the middle, so I increased the amount of time the dough is kneaded & swapped in active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.
- Don't Underbake: I always check the center of my filled-breads with a kitchen thermometer (reading at least 180F) to avoid taking out my loaf before it's actually baked through.
Cinnamon Roll Bread with Yeast
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1 cup milk
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
FILLING
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Mix & Rise the Dough
- In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 45 seconds, until it's between 98°F to 105°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the warm milk with the active dry yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes, until it's frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add the frothy yeast mixture along with the eggs and softened butter. Mix with a large spoon (or your hands) until it forms a cohesive dough, and there's no dry flour visible.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes (or about 3 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment), until the dough is smooth and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl, and cover the top of the bowl with a large plate. Let it rest and rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
Shape & Proof the Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter for the filling. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper hanging over the edges. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1 cm-thick rectangle (roughly 30 cm by 45 cm).
- Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch gap along the edges.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting at a long edge. Trim off any excess dough on either end of the log. Slice the dough log into 1-inch pieces with a sharp kitchen knife or dental floss (see note below).
- Arrange the rolls standing on their side in the loaf pan. Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel, and allow it to rise for 30 to 60 minutes, until it has puffed up.
Bake the Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of at least 180°F. Add a large piece of aluminum foil folded in half over the bread after 20 minutes, to prevent the top from getting too brown.
- Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan and allow it to cool for another 20 minutes on a cooling rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, salt, and one tablespoon of milk. If it's too thick to drizzle, add another teaspoon of milk at a time. Drizzle the glaze on top of the loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides. Slice & enjoy!!
Notes
- Enriched Dough: This dough does take a while to rise & proof since it has a good amount of fat from the butter & eggs. Don't rush these steps!
- Shaping: Slicing cinnamon rolls with a knife can squish them so you lose that spiral, which is why I usually use dental floss instead - watch my video here to see how!
- Glaze: For a silky-smooth glaze, I sift my powdered sugar into a mixing bowl before adding the salt and milk.
- Leftovers: I usually reheat leftover slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds to warm & soften.
- Make-Ahead: I've brought this bread to family brunch by arranging the cinnamon rolls in a loaf pan before wrapping it in plastic wrap & refrigerating it overnight. In the morning, I let it warm up & proof for 2-3 hours before baking it.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)