Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This sourdough cinnamon swirl bread mixes the right sweetness with a tangy flavor, making it great for breakfast, a nice snack in the afternoon, or a sweet treat. This is one of our favorite sourdough bread recipes and gives you a soft, fluffy loaf with a delicious cinnamon swirl.
Whether toasted with a pat of butter or enjoyed plain, this bread will surely become a family favorite. You can even slice and freeze it for a quick and easy breakfast on busy mornings! The best part? It’s a great way to use your sourdough starter while treating yourself to something special.
Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- Basic bread machine
- Standard loaf pan
- Rolling Pin
- Plastic Wrap
- Clean tea towels
Ingredients
For the bread dough:
- 3/4 cup active fed sourdough starter (5.8 ounces/ 165 grams)
- 3 cups all purpose flour (14.75 ounces/ 415 grams)
- 2 tablespoons honey (1.5 ounces/ 22 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon ( like to use this brand)
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Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, flour, honey, butter, milk, and egg. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough. After resting, add the salt to the dough. Knead the dough by hand, with a stand mixer, or in a bread machine until smooth and soft. If the dough feels too dry, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. (If using a bread machine, select the DOUGH cycle and proceed to step 4 after the cycle completes.)
- First rise. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Then, cover it with a damp tea towel and allow it to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours or until the dough has nearly doubled in size. The rising time may vary depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your room.
- Prepare the filling. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Shape the dough. Grease a standard loaf pan with butter. On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a long rectangle. Make sure the rectangle’s shorter edge is the same as your loaf pan’s length.
- Add the cinnamon-sugar filling. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the entire surface of the dough.
- Roll the dough. Starting from one short side, tightly roll the dough into a log, just like you would for a jelly roll.
- Seal the edges. Pinch the seams and both ends of the rolled dough to seal them, making sure the filling stays inside during baking.
- Second rise. Transfer the rolled dough to the loaf pan, positioning it with the seam facing down. Then, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until the bread rises 1-2 inches above the edge of the loaf pan.
- Bake the bread. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack positioned in the center. Once preheated, remove the plastic wrap from the loaf and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 200°F (93°C).
- Cool and serve. Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
More Tips:
When shaping the dough into a log, be sure it’s firm enough to keep the swirl shape, but avoid pressing too hard. Too much pressure might push out the stuffing or rip the dough.
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The texture of your dough might change because of different flour brands or the humidity in the air. If the dough is too sticky, slowly mix in more flour, a tablespoon, until it feels right. If it’s too dry, add a little milk to soften it up.
For the dough to rise well, it needs a warm place without any drafts. If it’s cold in your kitchen, try putting the dough in the oven with just the light on for warmth, or find another warm area like the top of your refrigerator. Keeping the dough warm consistently helps it rise as it should.
If you’re baking at high altitudes and need adjustments for this recipe, check out these helpful high-altitude baking tips from King Arthur Baking.
Making sourdough is a process that can’t be rushed. If it doesn’t look like it has doubled in size within the expected timeframe, give it more time. The dough benefits from rising slowly.
When mixing the dough by hand, you can test if it’s ready by doing the “windowpane test.” Take a small piece of dough and stretch it out. If you can stretch it thin without breaking it and see light through it, then the dough’s gluten is properly developed.
Since ovens can differ, begin checking your bread around the 40-minute mark. It’s ready when it turns golden brown, sounds hollow if you tap the bottom, or a thermometer inserted in the middle shows 200°F.
For neat slices, use a serrated knife and a light sawing action. This way, you won’t squash the bread, and the swirl will stay pretty.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Having certain tools and ingredients can greatly contribute to your success in preparing this bread. Let’s cover some of the essentials:
- Active Sourdough Starter: This is crucial for your bread’s foundation and should be lively and recently fed. Plan to nourish your starter a few hours before baking for optimal leavening.
- Kitchen Scale: For precision in baking, measuring ingredients by weight is key. A kitchen scale will help get the right consistency in your dough every time.
- Cinnamon: Choosing high-quality cinnamon can greatly enhance the flavor. Look for it in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores, specialty food stores, or online. While any cinnamon will do, opting for freshly ground or premium cinnamon can improve the taste. If you’re a fan of cinnamon and want to add a little extra flavor, you should also check out my sourdough cinnamon raisin bread. It combines the same great taste with the addition of plump, juicy raisins.
- Butter: Softening butter before adding it to the dough gives smooth incorporation and a richer texture to the bread.
- Whole Milk: This ingredient makes the dough richer. If you’re avoiding dairy, switch it to almond or oat milk. Remember that this may slightly tweak the texture and taste.
- Honey: Adding honey brings a mild sweetness and moisture to the bread. If you’re looking for alternatives, maple syrup or agave nectar are good options, though they will vary the flavor slightly.
- All-Purpose Flour: The go-to flour for this recipe, although you can experiment with bread flour for a chewier bite or whole wheat flour for a heavier loaf.
- Instant-Read Thermometer: Handy for making sure your bread is thoroughly baked, aiming for an internal temperature of 200°F signals it’s done just right.
These tools and ingredients put you on track for a successful baking experience. While you don’t need all these things, they’ll help make bread baking easier.
Troubleshooting and Help
Don’t worry; sourdough can be a bit slow sometimes! If your dough isn’t rising, give it more time and make sure it’s in a warm, draft-free spot. If your kitchen is cool, place the dough in the oven with just the light on or near a warm appliance like the top of the fridge. Patience is key with sourdough!
If your dough sticks, lightly dust your rolling pin and work surface with flour. You can also try rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Just be careful not to add too much flour, making the dough tough.
No loaf pan? No problem! You can shape the dough into a free-form loaf and bake it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Just be aware that the shape might spread a bit more, but it’ll still taste delicious.
Absolutely! If you can find a good-quality store-bought starter, go for it. Just make sure it’s active and bubbly before you start baking. If it’s been sitting in your fridge for a while, feed it and let it get nice and lively before you begin.
Yes, you can! Kneading by hand works just fine. It might take a little longer and require some elbow grease, but the results will be just as delicious. Just make sure to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Yes, you can add some extra raisins, nuts, or even chocolate chips to the cinnamon-sugar filling. Just be careful not to overfill, as rolling the dough might be tricky. If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy my Homemade Raisin Bread, which adds a touch of fruity sweetness to every bite.
The best way to check is with an instant-read thermometer. The bread is done when the center reaches 200°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, tap the loaf’s bottom—it should sound hollow when fully baked.
Yes, you can! After shaping the dough and placing it in the loaf pan, cover it tightly with greased plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature the next day and finish rising before baking as usual. This can help develop even more flavor in the bread.
Absolutely! After the first rise, divide the dough into smaller portions, shape them into rolls, and place them in a greased baking dish or on a baking sheet. They’ll bake faster than a loaf, so start checking them around 20 minutes. If you’re looking for another sweet twist on sourdough, don’t miss my Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Boule. It’s a lovely, round loaf with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar crust that’s sure to be delicious.
I hope you enjoy making and sharing this Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It’s an easy and fulfilling way to add homemade charm to your kitchen and is great for using your sourdough starter.
Whether for breakfast, a snack, or a sweet treat, this bread will surely become a favorite in your home. Making it might take a bit, but you’ll end up with a cozy, delicious loaf that’s good for any time. Plus, cutting into that lovely cinnamon swirl is a unique treat.
Love,
With dough machine (Zoe basic) how to skip to #4? And what is step 4?
This looks great, i will try it.
I’ve tried numerous recipes and this is my go-to now. Love the texture and that it isn’t overly fluffy. Has substance. Perfect toasted.
Mikki i’m so happy you like the recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Love this recipe. I have my third batch going now. I did cold proof it overnight. Also, last time I added cinnamon to the dough and a touch of nutmeg to the filling and was super happy with the result.
Have you tried a cold proof on this? I prefer to ferment my regular sourdough loaves about 3 days, but I haven’t tried that with an enriched dough like this. I would love your thoughts!
heather, yes i have tried it and it just doesn’t rise much in the fridge. what you could do is pop in in there and then let it rest on the counter a few hours before you bake.
It’s in the oven now! Took overnight to rise but I’m sure it was my starter that wasn’t doing it’s job fast enough lol
Really delicious, fun loaf to make! I’ve only made it once, but would already recommend using a little more sugar/cinnamon for the filling! I bumped it to 1/3 of a cup sugar, but next time I’m gonna go to 1/2!
Only issue with the outcome was a pretty substantial airpocket on the top of my loaf (lead to the slices having a hole in the top). Any idea what might have caused that? I’ve never made a rolled load like this, so maybe i didn’t roll it tightly enough?
Either way, fun and delicious recipe. Highly recommend!
hi tanner! the pocket was probably either not rolling up tightly enough or just a bubble in the dough. happens to everyone! glad you liked the recipe 🙂
I had to use way more than 3 cups of flour to get a shaggy dough. 3/4 c starter, 1/2 c milk. Did I do something wrong? Waiting for my dough to rise now so can’t comment on final product.
Hi Becky! This can happen someti es if it’s very humid out! As long your final dough oil the right co sistency there’s only problem
So good and so easy! I added apples and it’s delicious. Thanks!
Hello. Do you know of a way to make a dairy-free version of this?
I’m sorry I have never tried. but I think any typically vegan substutitions for the butter would work, and simply replace the milk power and water with a dairy free liquid milk. product.
I used almond milk and it came out great! Next time I’m going to make sure to roll the bread super tightly so that the swirl is more plentiful. Also going to try substituting some whole wheat flour just because I like it more. I froze the slices separately, and have been heating up one and enjoying it with Nutella and ice cream. YUM!
I just made normal sourdough and added oil to the dough with brown sugar and then after normal rise time for sour dough pressed out added sugar and cinnamon and rolled it up. Set for a few hours and baked.
Disappointed in the recipe. It was more first time using the recipe and my dough didnt rise like it should. I put it in the fridge overnight and that didn’t help either
Pamela, sorry it didn’t work out for you. Sourdough is so finicky and this rising times vary so much depending on the strength of your starter and the temps of your room. If it doesn’t rise overnight tin the fridge, sometimes just an hour or two in warmer spot will help it perk right up. 🙂
Hi – what size loaf pan are you using here? Thanks.
Jodi it’s 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/12
Can I let the dough sit over night?
make sure its in a cool place or it will over proof and collapse 🙂
Will skim milk work instead of whole? Or evaporated milk?
yes skim is fine. 🙂 I haven’t tried evaporated
I added apples, so delicious!! This will be a repeat recipe for sure. Love experimenting with sourdough.
Great idea on the apples! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂