Amish Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe (Or Cinnamon Raisin Bread)

Amish Cinnamon Bread

Welcome to the world of homemade goodness with our simple and delightful Amish Cinnamon Swirl Yeast Bread. If you've ever savored the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked bread, this recipe is about to become one of your favorite things.

Soft homemade bread, featuring a delightful sweet cinnamon swirl makes the best piece of toast. It is so good slathered with butter!

With a few basic ingredients like yeast, sugar, flour, and cinnamon, you'll be well on your way to creating this delicious treat that's perfect for breakfast or as a sweet snack. So, roll up your sleeves, and let's dive into making your very own Amish Cinnamon Bread. You won't be sorry!

Cinnamon Bread Recipe with Yeast

Amish cinnamon bread with yeast is a wonderful treat that fills your kitchen with the irresistible aroma of cinnamon while offering a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth.

While most Amish cinnamon bread recipes that you find online are quick bread recipes or Amish friendship bread recipes, this Amish cinnamon loaf is simply made with white bread dough, making it an eggless cinnamon bread recipe.

If you enjoy the cinnamon swirl bread that you find in the bread aisle at the supermarket (like Pepperidge Farm or Thomas' cinnamon bread), then this recipe is for you. It is homemade cinnamon bread made with yeast. The type of cinnamon swirl bread you pop into the toaster and enjoy for a quick breakfast treat.

Ingredients

Each ingredient in this Amish cinnamon swirl yeast bread recipe plays a specific role in contributing to the overall flavor, texture, and structure of the bread.

1. Active Dry Yeast initiates fermentation, causing the dough to rise and giving the bread its light and airy texture. The addition of a small amount of flour and sugar to the yeast mixture helps activate and feed the yeast.
2. Warm Water activates the yeast and helps dissolve other ingredients, facilitating the fermentation process.
3. Sugar provides sweetness to the bread and serves as a food source for the yeast during fermentation.
4. Oil adds moisture to the dough, contributing to its tenderness and enhancing overall richness.
5. Mashed Potatoes add moisture and tenderness, and the starch in potatoes helps retain moisture, resulting in a softer crumb.
6. Salt enhances flavor, regulates yeast activity, and strengthens the gluten structure for better texture.
7. Flour forms the main structure of the bread, creating gluten for texture and determining the overall density of the loaf. Bread flour is best for making yeast bread because its higher protein content helps create a strong gluten structure, leading to a better rise and texture in the final product.
8. Cinnamon adds a warm, aromatic flavor and creates distinct swirls in the bread.
9. Powdered Sugar (used in the filling with cinnamon) sweetens the filling, contributes to its texture, and helps in achieving well-defined, velvety swirls in the finished bread.

Each ingredient plays a crucial role in building the flavor, texture, and structure of Amish cinnamon swirl bread, resulting in a delightful and aromatic baked sweet treat with a lovely cinnamon swirl.

How to Make Bread

This recipe for cinnamon swirl yeast bread is made using my favorite white bread recipe.

You don't need a KitchenAid mixer or Bosch to make this Amish white bread; most Amish women make it by hand. However, a mixer can help with the heavy lifting and simplify the process. Using the dough hook attachment for kneading, you'll find the task easier.

To make this bread, follow these simple steps:

1. Begin by adding a tablespoon of flour and sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of active dry yeast to your KitchenAid mixing bowl or any large bowl. Combine these ingredients and add 2 cups of warm water. Please make sure the water is at a lukewarm temperature (approximately 110 degrees F.) as it affects the yeast's performance.
2. Give the yeast mixture a stir and let it rest for about 5 - 10 minutes, it should become foamy and bubbly during this time.
3. Add sugar, oil, salt, mashed potatoes, and 4 1/2 cups of bread flour to the mixture. Use the dough hook attachment to blend these ingredients thoroughly.
4. While the mixer is running at a low speed, gradually add more flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to 2 and knead for a couple of minutes.
5. Sometimes the dough will pull away from the sides, but as you continue to knead you will need to keep adding flour. But after it has been kneading for a couple of minutes, just add enough flour till the sides of the bowl are clean. It's ok if it sticks a little at the bottom of the bowl.
6. As the mixer continues running, pour a small amount of oil into the side of the bowl to grease it, or alternatively, transfer the dough to another well-greased bowl.
7. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap or a dish towel. Allow it to rest at room temperature for approximately an hour. During this period, the dough should puff and rise to almost doubled.

I am adding a link here to show you how to knead dough by hand.

How to Make Swirl Bread

Until this step, everything was the same as making regular sandwich bread. Now we need to roll out the dough to create a sweet cinnamon swirl.

To make homemade cinnamon swirl bread, butter your hands and knead the risen bread dough for a bit. Then divide the dough in half. Place one half on a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into an approximate 8 1/2 x 14 1/2-inch rectangle.

Spread 1/3 cup of powdered sugar over the dough, going all the way to the edges. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of cinnamon over the powdered sugar. Starting with the short end, tightly roll the dough, gently pulling as you roll to eliminate any air pockets or holes.

Roll it up completely and place it into a greased loaf pan with the seam side facing down. Then repeat with the second half of the dough.

Set the loaves in a warm place, cover them lightly with a towel, and let them rise for approximately 30 minutes or until the bread has risen slightly higher than the sides of the pans.

Baking Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Before placing bread into the oven, make sure the oven is fully preheated. I bake my bread at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. That's always the perfect amount of time for my oven and my pans.

However, ovens vary and so do bread pans. Years ago, I used thinner bread pans and only baked my bread for 30 minutes, but with my heavier pans, it takes 35 minutes. (One trick my mother taught me: when you take the bread out of the oven, give it a quick upward jerk, and if it pops up, it's done.)

Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest in the pans for approximately ten minutes. Spread a bit of butter over the tops of the hot bread. (I rub a stick of butter over the tops.)

Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool. Most people will tell you to cool your bread completely before placing it into airtight bags. However, I always bag my bread while it's still slightly warm. It helps to trap in more moisture, keeping the bread softer. It makes the most delicious Amish cinnamon bread ever!

Amish Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This bakery-style Amish cinnamon bread can very easily be turned into Amish Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Add approximately 1 1/2 - 2 cups of raisins to the dough along with the flour and proceed with the instructions to make cinnamon swirl bread.

You can also top this homemade cinnamon raisin bread with a powdered sugar glaze if desired.

To make the glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons milk. Whisk together until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cinnamon raisin loaves.

Storing Homemade Bread

Unlike commercial store-bought bread that's loaded with preservatives, homemade bread does not have a long shelf life.

It can be stored in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 or 4 days at room temperature. After two or three days it will start to dry out a bit.

For a longer shelf-life, refrigerate cinnamon bread for up to five or six days.

If you need to store it for longer than that, I recommend freezing it. To keep it fresh, place the bread into an airtight container or bag and freeze it as soon as it is cooled. Thaw the cinnamon bread at room temperature and enjoy!

More Amish Bread Recipes

Amish White Bread

Honey Wheat Bread

Quick Yeast Dinner Rolls

Banana Bread Recipe

Cranberry Walnut Orange Bread

Amish Cinnamon Swirl Bread for Toast

Toast a slice of this delightful homemade Amish cinnamon swirl loaf, spread it with a bit of butter, and savor every bite. It is one of my favorite things for breakfast. It smells delightful and tastes even better.

I love this bread whether it's made as simple cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread. Its taste and aroma are amazing either way!

I hope you enjoy Amish cinnamon bread as much as we do. If you try this recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!