By Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 2 hours’ rising
- Rating
- 4(833)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This stunning bread is made from 16 small cinnamon rolls that are arranged in a loaf pan, creating a swirled pattern that’s surprisingly easy to achieve. The bread is delicious served slightly warm, but if you want to see precise spirals in your slice, let it cool completely before slicing. The icing is meant to be quite thick; if you apply it while the loaf is still warm, it will remain soft and gooey. If you apply it once the bread is fully cooled, it will harden to a thick, glossy frosting. Both are equally delicious, and which one you choose may depend entirely on how patient you can be once the aroma permeates your kitchen.
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Ingredients
Yield:One 9-inch loaf
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1cup/240 milliliters whole milk
- 3cups/385 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup/65 grams granulated sugar
- 2teaspoons instant yeast
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (¾ stick), at room temperature
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 8tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- ⅔cup/145 grams light brown sugar
- ¼cup/30 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2½teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1large egg
- 1cup/125 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 3tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Dough
For the Filling and Finishing
For the Glaze
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a parchment paper sling, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
Step
2
Pour the milk into a small pot and heat over low until it’s just warm to the touch (about 95 degrees). If needed, let cool to the correct temperature before using.
Step
3
While the milk heats, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt to combine. Add the warm milk, butter and egg and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl well, and mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Step
4
Transfer to a lightly greased medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and almost doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step
5
While the dough rises, make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Whisk in the flour, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until well incorporated.
When the dough has risen, roll it out into into a rectangle (about 12 by 20 inches) on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin. Spread the filling over the dough in an even layer all the way to the edges. Starting on one of the long sides, tightly roll up the dough crosswise into a 20-inch log. Gently stretch the log to make it about 24 inches long.
Step
7
Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut the dough into 16 1½-inch-thick pieces. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the loaf pan: Place two rows of six pieces each at the bottom of the pan, side-by-side, seam-side down and tightly packed with the swirls facing the ends of the pan. Arrange the remaining four pieces in the center on top of those on the bottom.
Step
8
Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough comes about 1 inch over the top edge of the pan, about 1 hour (it can be more if your room temperature is cooler). Toward the end of the rise time, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step
9
Make an egg wash by lightly beating 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water together. Brush the loaf with the egg wash, then bake until the loaf has an internal temperature of 200 degrees, about 50 to 55 minutes. The loaf will brown quickly; tent it with foil after 20 to 25 minutes for the remainder of baking time.
Step
10
While the loaf bakes, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cream and vanilla to combine. The mixture should be thick, more like a frosting than a glaze. Add more cream if needed to achieve a smooth texture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap into the surface of the frosting so the surface doesn’t harden.
Step
11
Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use a small offset spatula to loosen the loaf from the short edges of the pan, then lift out the loaf using the parchment paper and cool for at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack before applying the frosting. Spread the frosting in an even layer over the surface of the loaf.
Ratings
4
out of 5
833
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Cooking Notes
Jenuwefa
Is there a reason why you cut the log into so many pieces? Wouldn't it be easier to just cut it into three lengths and stack them in the loaf pan?
Mary
Why not just cut the roll into three sections? Why slice it into 1 1/2” rolls? What is the benefit of this?
Sharon
Great for Easter morning. A few changes next time - the yeast needs to go into the warmed milk and bloom, not into the dry ingredients. It took 2+ hours on top of a very hot stove to get this to rise at all. Then before rolling the dough out, be sure to punch it down. My mother made cinnamon rolls for years - her trick for slicing the rolls - a length of thread folded to triple thickness, at least 24" long folded, slide the thread under the roll, cross it over the top and pull - voila!
ElizParkCoop
I made two of these when I first tried this recipe as they were for a Sunday Brunch I was hosting. The first one, I set the 16 pieces up exactly as directed in the direction and the second I took the recommendation of some of the commenters and cut it into three sections and baked it that way after the rise in the pan. They were both delicious and a huge hit but the one that I cut into three pieces was a lot more aesthetically pleasing. This recipe is fabulous - it was the talk of the brunch
Sarah
My five year old: “this is the best bread ever! This is the best bread of my life!” Guys, he even ate the crusts.
Jacqueline
I made this per the recipe and found the dough after the first rise to be so wet as to be unworkable. I had to use a bench scraper to work knead and add nearly 1 additional cup of flour. Enriched doughs are very tender, and this isn't my first rodeo with enriched doughs, so spreading the filling without stretching the dough was difficult, even after heating it to melt the butter again. Upon baking, it exploded a bit in the oven. Good thing I put a baking sheet underneath. Tasty, but flawed.
sundevilpeg
".. .the yeast needs to go into the warmed milk and bloom, not into the dry ingredients"That's not the way instant yeast works. The initial "bloom" stage isn't necessary. Note that the yeast is incorporated into the flour along with the salt, which would also be heresy with standard yeast.
kim
Very wet dough but did well in oven proofer. Nice rise each time. Extra flour while rolling out helped a lot with stickiness. Didn’t get a chance to frost as dog decided it smelled to good to resist. Was only left with a 1/3 a loaf unfrosted but still delicious. Next time, back double batch to make extra for freezing and move bread away from edge of counter to cool.
Jacqueline
An enriched bread like this is best served fresh. It will stay for a couple of days. I'd wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it a cool, dry place. No need to refrigerate unless you live in a very warm and humid climate and/or don't have a/c. You can't really make it ahead of time because of the need to rise. With enriched breads they need to rise twice, so typically make them the day before you intend to eat or early the day of. Hope this helps!
MA
@PJT as there are eggs and milk you could make the dough and let rise in the fridge. I will do this the night before and then bake for breakfast.
Elizabeth
Delicious, but next time I would use softened instead of melted butter for the filling. It would be easier to manage and less of a mess.
Erin
I’m an experienced bread baker, and this didn’t turn out well, I think because of the pan size. I rented the loaves at 20 minutes, but the large areas of the crust over browned by the time the bread was done. On a positive note, the dough was very easy to work with.
Leah
I made this for Easter brunch and it turned out great! Didn’t change anything. I didn’t have problems with working with the dough or rolling it. I do make my own bread with air grown yeast and it’s similar in light stickiness. Just flour your roller and mat well. It baked well and was a big hit. I’m currently making it again for tomorrow’s “coffee hour”.
christine
beautiful flavor but raw in the middle after 45 min in the oven. I think the rolls were slightly too thicker than 1 1/2 inches might be the reason.
Dmoney
I attempted this for Easter this weekend. I felt that inside topping was a bit stingy. I would have gone a bit heavier - also a bit heavier on the cinnamon.
PonoDiane
…also, the butter/sugar mixture firmed up a bit before applying (not melted anymore). Went on well, applying with a large spoon. Then spreading smoothly with my hands. Next time try adding orange zest, rum soaked raisins and/or toasted chopped nuts.
Gina Betcher
Is there a presentation on how to make this?
Naomi Weisberg Siegel
Babka by any other name...
apittman
The dough was so tender - loved it! My only issue was with the filling- I would probably copy other reviewers and skip melting the butter- the dough is so tender that it may be difficult to spread softened butter, but the melted butter made the swirls too wet.
Mibsy
The only changes I made were hand- kneading the dough instead of using mixer w/paddle and using softened vs melted butter for the filling. I found the dough easy to work with after letting it rise in oven on proof setting for almost 3 hours.I was very pleased with the result!
Alexis
“I buy what I want in the bakery....let professionals handle it!”Why are you reading and making comments on recipes? We cooks love the challenge and don’t give a hoot if you buy bread.This wasn’t easy for me to make and my kitchen and I were covered with flour but it’s worth making.
Rolnrn
Needs raisins. I put them in with the filling. Delicious.
Eric Ligon
Sharon, Your mother's method for slicing the rolls using thread is a good one. you can also use dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls. Works like a charm.
Bevo
Instant yeast goes in with the flour. It is not required to be added to warm milk.
kim
Very wet dough but did well in oven proofer. Nice rise each time. Extra flour while rolling out helped a lot with stickiness. Didn’t get a chance to frost as dog decided it smelled to good to resist. Was only left with a 1/3 a loaf unfrosted but still delicious. Next time, back double batch to make extra for freezing and move bread away from edge of counter to cool.
Ellen
how can we make this vegan :)
abbey
whole milk-coconut milkbutter-earth balance vegan butterheavy cream-coconut cream
abbey
egg-1/4 cup applesauce
Ella
I had to add an additional cup of flour to the dough, but the end result was great! The proof and bake times were very accurate with my oven. Also, instead of assembling the loaf with individual cinnamon rolls, I rolled and twice-twisted it like a babka with one continuous snake.
margaux
I only had active dry yeast, so after mixing the dough, I let it rise in the fridge overnight, which worked out just fine. The proofing stage worked just like in the recipe. Also, this dough ends up being super slack and sticky, so I kneaded it in the mixer for quite some time and added a few tablespoons of flower, and did some stretch and folds to the dough until it could sort of hold its shape in a ball before rising in the fridge. Also, definitely put a sheet pan under the loaf pan in oven
chelise
Great fun recipe with kids. Teaches patience, excitement, and payoff. Only thing, I’d keep the frosting on the side so people can add or keep it off if they choose. Great lesson!
Dmoney
I attempted this for Easter this weekend. I felt that inside topping was a bit stingy. I would have gone a bit heavier - also a bit heavier on the cinnamon.
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