This cinnamon swirl bread made in the bread machine tastes like a giant cinnamon bun! It is so easy to make and so delicious! It is great for breakfast, toast, a sweet treat, or just anytime you want to have a cinnamon bun.
A Soft, Bakery-Style Loaf with a Perfect Cinnamon Ribbon
There are few things more comforting than a slice of homemade cinnamon swirl bread—soft, tender, and fragrant with cinnamon and brown sugar. This loaf has the look and feel of a giant cinnamon bun, but it’s made right in the bread machine with simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
This recipe is designed to be dependable. No shortcuts that compromise texture, no unnecessary steps, and no complicated shaping. If you’re comfortable making basic bread machine dough, this is a wonderful recipe to add to your rotation.
What makes this cinnamon bread especially soft is the use of potato flakes as an enrichment. They help retain moisture, improve texture, and keep the loaf tender for days. Combined with milk, butter, and an egg, the result is a rich but balanced dough that handles beautifully.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the dough:
- Bread flour
- Active dry yeast
- White sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Milk
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Dry potato flakes
- Water (measured carefully)
For the cinnamon swirl:
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- Butter
When using instant potato flakes, make sure the only ingredient listed is potatoes. Avoid flavored or seasoned varieties with additives. These flakes are simply cooked, mashed, dehydrated potatoes—and they make a noticeable difference in the finished bread.
Preparing the Bread Machine
Before adding ingredients, lightly grease the paddle stem inside the bread pan. This helps prevent sticking later and makes removing the loaf much easier.
This recipe is mixed using the dough or raw dough cycle, not a full bread cycle. We’re shaping the loaf by hand to create that beautiful cinnamon swirl, then returning it to the machine just for baking.
Measuring the Liquids Correctly
One of the most important steps in this recipe is measuring the liquids accurately.
The potato flakes, milk, and egg are all counted as part of the liquid total. Begin by placing the potato flakes into a measuring cup, then add the milk and allow the flakes to absorb moisture for a few seconds. Add the egg, then enough water to bring the total liquid measurement to 1⅓ cups.
Always reserve a little water when working with enrichments like potatoes. They absorb liquid differently, and it’s much easier to add a tablespoon of water during mixing than to fix overly wet dough later.
Mixing the Dough
Add the liquids to the bread pan first, followed by softened or melted butter, vanilla, salt, sugar, and yeast. Finish by adding the bread flour on top.
Place the pan in the bread machine and start the dough cycle. After a few minutes of mixing, check the dough ball. It should be soft and elastic—not stiff or dry.
If the dough feels firm or looks crumbly, add water one tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes supple and smooth. A properly hydrated dough should hold its shape but feel soft when pressed.
Once kneading is complete, allow the dough to rise in the machine with the lid closed for about 30–40 minutes, until doubled.
Creating the Cinnamon Swirl
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and remove the paddle if it’s still inside. Gently flatten the dough into a rough rectangle—perfection is not required.
Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together. Spread softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture across the top.
Avoid adding flour or egg wash to the swirl. Keeping it simple ensures a clean, defined ribbon inside the loaf rather than muddy layers.
Roll the dough up tightly from one end to the other, forming a log. Tuck the ends underneath and place the dough back into the bread pan, seam side down.
Baking in the Bread Machine
Return the pan to the bread machine and select the bake-only cycle. On the KBS machine, this is menu option 14. Set the bake time to approximately 50 minutes, checking for doneness near the end.
If needed, add additional bake time in 10-minute increments. The loaf should be well risen, golden, and fully set before removing.
Once baked, allow the bread to cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.
Cooling and Slicing
Cooling matters. Cutting into hot bread will compress the crumb and make it gummy, especially with enriched doughs like this one. Let the loaf cool until just warm before slicing.
When you cut into it, you’ll see a beautiful cinnamon swirl running through the center—and the texture will be soft, tender, and rich without being heavy.
This bread is excellent plain, toasted, or with butter. It also makes outstanding French toast.
A Reliable, Special-Occasion Loaf
This cinnamon swirl bread is one of those recipes that feels special but isn’t fussy. It’s perfect for weekends, holidays, or anytime you want something a little extra without a lot of extra work.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Homemade bread is a skill worth learning—and enjoying.
Recipe
Bread Flour: 3 cups
Instant Yeast: 2 1/4 tsp
Potato Flakes: 2 tbsp
Warm Milk: approx 1 cup (around 90–100°F)
Granulated Sugar: 1/3 cup
Salt: 1 ½ tsp
Unsalted Butter: 4 tbsp (softened)
Eggs: 1 large
Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp
For the swirl
2 tsp cinnamon
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Watch the YouTube Video for detailed instructions on how to make this bread. It is great and tastes like a giant cinnamon bun!
Ready for some Honey Whole Wheat bread? Check out this recipe.