Buttermilk cinnamon bread has a sweet, tender crumb and a thick swirl of cinnamon in each slice. It’s topped with more cinnamon and a thick blanket of buttery vanilla glaze. It’s definitely a welcome breakfast treat!
For this recipe you’ll need: active dry yeast, powdered ginger, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, salt, baking soda, bread flour, butter, cinnamon, (2) 8.3 x5 x4 – inch loaf pans
If you are in a hurry click here to go straight to the recipe.
I love a good cinnamon roll (especially buttermilk cinnamon rolls!) as much as anyone but I have to say that a really yummy piece of cinnamon bread, toasted until it’s hot with just a little crunch, and then slathered with a copious amount of drippy yellow butter makes me go weak in the knees. The sweet spiciness, the crunch, the buttery ooze? I don’t know — I just know that I am an addict. Totally can’t resist the stuff.
A lot of cinnamon bread recipes call of raisins, and you can certainly add them to this recipe, either in the dough or on top of the cinnamon and sugar before you roll it up, but my family prefers the no raisins version although they will sometimes tolerate a pecan or two in the recipe.
I’ve been making this buttermilk cinnamon bread for years. It’s a twist on my favorite buttermilk bread recipe and I think that I have perfected it at this point. The crumb is tender and buttery with a hint of vanilla flavor and the swirl is spicy and sweet. Now, sometimes the bread sort of separates from the swirl of cinnamon. It happens to everyone at one time or another so don’t worry if you slice into it and find that the swirl is somewhat loose or that your top sinks a little in the middle. It will be just as delicious, I promise! Next time try brushing the dough with an egg wash before adding the cinnamon and sugar. I’ve heard that works but I’ve not tried it yet.
You can also make cinnamon rolls out of this recipe, just follow the instructions until you’ve rolled the dough and cinnamon up. Then cut the loaf into about 8 slices, let rise, and bake them cut side down for about 15 minutes.
Now, why use a cinnamon bread with buttermilk recipe instead of just a plain milk recipe?
It’s not hard to find a cinnamon yeast bread recipe on the Internet. There are plenty of them and they are good but when you add buttermilk the texture of the crumb becomes pillowy soft and it just takes the cinnamon swirl bread right over the top. Really, you have to try this!
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I like to buy a large quantity of yeast at one time. It’s much cheaper that way and it will last in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for a long time. You may not think you’ll go through that much but trust me… you will!
If you want to make your own buttermilk from scratch without using commercial buttermilk as a starter you’ll need this product to do it. Buttermilk C21 – 5 Packets. Finally, you’ll need some good loaf pans. These are what I use. Pyrex 1.5-Quart Clear Basics Glass Loaf Pan (Set of 2)
Just a quick note… If you’ve wanted to learn to bake bread but it never comes out quite the way you think it should… you might like my new book, Bread BootCamp. It’s gotten great reviews!
Learning to bake bread can seem very intimidating and many would-be bakers quit in frustration. My eBook, Bread Boot Camp teaches you to create tall, fluffy loaves of bread using an incremental approach – learning the techniques step by step so that by the end of the book you’ve mastered it. More importantly, you’ve had fun doing it! Plus, get 10% off the eBook with coupon code YR83Y You can also get the paperback version on Amazon –Bread Bootcamp: It’s Not a Cookbook…It’s an Adventure
Here’s the buttermilk cinnamon bread recipe. I think you’ll love it! Be sure to post your images on Instagram and tag #restlesschipotle in it! I love to see your creations! Also, be sure to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! The links are in the upper right hand sidebar.
Looking for a less sweet breakfast bread? Try this easy English muffin loaf!
Buttermilk Cinnamon Bread
Print Add to CollectionIngredients
- 1 active dry yeast, (I usually use 1 tablespoon because I buy in bulk.)
- Pinch of powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water, (105F)
- 2 cups warm buttermilk, (105F)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 cups white bread flour, , divided use
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, , melted and cooled so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter, , melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cream as needed to achieve correct consistency.
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl mix the yeast, ginger, sugar, and warm water.
- Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and baking soda together and add it to the yeast mixture.
- Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low of a stand mixer.
- Pour in the lukewarm butter until it is totally mixed into the batter.
- Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
- When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic and smooth.
- You can also knead in your mixer according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until double.
- Punch down.
- Divide into two equal sized balls.
- Roll each out into a 8-inch wide rectangle about 10 inches long.
- Brush each with the 1/4 cup melted butter.
- Mix the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon together until evenly colored.
- Spread over the dough rectangles, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the mixture.
- Roll each loaf tightly and place into greased loaf pans.
- Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved cinnamon mixture.
- Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes, or until it is just about the tops of the bread pans.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Bake for 30 minutes. You can cover the tops with foil if they brown too fast.
- Remove loaves from oven.
- Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Gently run a knife around the edge between the bread and the pan to loosen it.
- Turn out and top with the glaze.
- Cool completely on a rack.
- Cover the loaves as they cool if you want soft crusts.
Glaze
- Mix the confectioners sugar, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
- Add a little cream or milk to thin it if needed.
If you liked Buttermilk Cinnamon Bread you may also like…
Amish Cinnamon Bread (quick) Semi-Sweet Sisters
Pull Apart Brioche Cinnamon Bread Half Baked Harvest
Let's Keep in Touch!
I believe oven temp too high – 375-350 worked much better.
It’s always good to adjust recipes to work with your individual oven!
Hi I made this bread and it was turning out so nice but I only had it in the oven for 15 minutes and it got very brown on the top so I covered it with tin foil but at the end of 30 minutes it was very brown almost burned Is there and reason for this and if I do it again can I cover it with tin foil as soon as it goes in the oven Thank you
Try turning your oven temp down 25 degrees and cover with foil after the first few minutes.
What happens to the other 1/2 cup of sugar for bread? There’s 1 teaspoon in with yeast & 1/2 cup with buttermilk, etc. Then Filling has another listing of 1/2 cup for a grand total of 1 1/2 cups and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
It was a typo. I’ve fixed it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Oh thank you so much, Marye! I tried it with the full cup of sugar in the dough and ….it didn’t turn out very well. But everyone LOVED the flavor of it!, I have been begged til I tried it again! So that’s what my Sunday will be!
Hi,
I made the cinnamon loaves. I used cake flour, would that be
The reason for the final kneading to be very soft, not really manageable.
Thank you,
Maris
Yes. Cake flour has a very low gluten content so it does not work with bread. You need all purpose flour or bread flour. 🙂
I haven’t made cinnamon bread in forever! I love this version and hope to try it soon 🙂
Let me know what you think of it!
Thanks Julie! It really does smell awesome
This bread looks amazing!!
Thanks!
A slice (or two) of this bread sounds like the perfect breakfast for me, I can never resist all that cinnamon goodness!
It’s one of my favorites. 🙂
Wow, this looks amazing! And so moist! Love it!
It is so good!
This sounds AMAZING! I used to buy a cinnamon bread from a bakery in VA but haven’t had it since I moved. Your recipe looks very similar to it – will have to try it!
Let me know what you think!
yum! I would love to make this bread for some french toast
It makes amazing French toast!
Talk about perfection. That bread is so lovely Marye! I really want to trial a cinnamon swirl bread now – I love baking bread but have never made this type.
You should try it! It’s so good.
Your buttermilk and cinnamon bread looks divine Merye. It should be perfect for my afternoon coffee here
xoxo
Yes it will! Thanks!
it just does not get any better than fresh from the oven cinnamon bread
I totally agree! Love it so much! Maybe too much.
This looks amaaazing! What a perfect breakfast treat!
Thanks Kristy! It really is!