Description

This Cinnamon Crunch Bread is a deliciously soft and flavorful bread swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a crunchy cinnamon topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack, it features a tender yeast dough enriched with buttermilk, butter, and eggs, which is rolled with a cinnamon-brown sugar filling, twisted for a beautiful design, and baked to golden perfection with a buttery cinnamon crunch topping.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough 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

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 a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
Mix dough ingredients: Add remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape sides, then add remaining flour. Beat on low until dough pulls from bowl, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, mix by hand with a wooden spoon.
Knead the dough: Using dough hook, knead for 5 minutes more or knead by hand on floured surface for 5 minutes. Add flour sparingly if dough gets sticky. Dough should feel soft and pass the windowpane test.
First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl and place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in warm place for 1.5-2 hours until doubled.
Grease loaf pan: Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan thoroughly.
Roll out dough: Punch down dough to release air and roll out on floured surface into a 9×15 inch rectangle.
Prepare filling: Spread softened butter over dough leaving 1/2 inch border. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over butter.
Roll and twist dough: Tightly roll dough into a 15-inch log. Place on seam side, cut log lengthwise in half. Criss-cross halves to form an X, twist tightly together. Pinch edges to seal and place in loaf pan. Cover and rest 30 minutes for slight second rise.
Preheat oven: Adjust oven rack to lower third and place a baking sheet on lower rack. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Make topping: Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Spoon over top of loaf right before baking.
Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and top sounds hollow when tapped. Tent with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in pan, then on wire rack.
Slice and serve: Slice the bread and serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat slices 10 seconds in microwave to refresh.

Notes

Be sure to use warm buttermilk and water at about 110°F to activate yeast properly.
If dough is too sticky while kneading, add flour 1 teaspoon at a time to avoid dry dough.
The windowpane test is a good way to check if dough is kneaded enough for gluten development.
Letting the loaf rest for 30 minutes before baking allows for a better rise and texture.
Tenting the bread with foil after 20 minutes prevents the topping from burning.
Leftover bread is best enjoyed within a few days; topping may lose crunch after the first day.
This bread freezes well if wrapped tightly and thawed before serving.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cinnamon bread, cinnamon crunch bread, homemade bread, sweet bread, yeast bread, breakfast bread, cinnamon sugar bread