Sugar, spice and everything nice! That’s what this Cinnamon Twist Bread is made of! As beautiful as it is delicious, this recipe is such a special treat.

Armed with leftover bread dough, this recipe was a happy accident. A couple simple changes to the way I roll and cut my tried-and-true Cinnamon Bun recipe, and this stunning creation was born! The best part? How show-stoppingly gorgeous it looks! It turns any day into a celebration.


How to Make Cinnamon Twist Bread
I took the original cinnamon bun recipe all the way to the roll stage. At this point, instead of slicing the roll in rounds like a classic cinnamon bun, I sliced the whole roll length-ways and twisted the braids of bread before and popping into a greased loaf pan. Don’t worry about getting a perfect braid or twist, it bakes all the same and looks fantastic!


Cinnamon Recipes
Cinnamon is truly one of the best spices in the whole world! From cinnamon buns to smoothies, these recipes are the most comforting way to enjoy the cozy flavours of cinnamon:
- Granny’s Cinnamon Buns (I am kind of known for this recipe!)
- Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast
- Cinnamon Roll Smoothie
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins (from our meal plan, Fraîche Table)




Cinnamon Twist Bread
Cinnamon Twist Bread
Sugar, spice and everything nice! That's what this Cinnamon Twist Bread is made of! As beautiful as it is delicious, this recipe is such a special treat! Multiply the recipe as desired of course.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter or vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water divided
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 3-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for flouring the surface
For the Filling
- 1/4 cup butter softened (or vegan butter)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
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In a medium microwave-proof bowl melt the butter and honey in the microwave. Stir and add 3/4 cup of room temperature water and the salt. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl or liquid measure, stir the sugar into the remaining 3/4 cup of lukewarm water (just warmer than room temperature) to dissolve, sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir. Let it sit for around 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and activates.
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In a large mixing bowl add the honey and butter mixture and stir in 1 cup of flour to combine. Add the yeast mixture, stir and gradually add more flour one cup at a time and stirring after the addition of each until the dough gets too stiff to stir (note that you will not have added all of your flour at this point). At this stage transfer your dough on to a clean floured surface (ie: your counter) and continue kneading the dough by hand until you get a soft but not sticky dough. It should feel squishy like a baby's bum when done!
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Transfer the dough into a large greased bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and place in a draft free warm area of the house to rise until doubled, around 1-2 hours.
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Preheat the oven to 350F, grease a loaf pan (I usually use 9×5 inch pan but a bit smaller or larger pan would work too) and line the bottom and sides of each pan with parchment paper for easy release later on. Set aside.
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Deflate the dough by punching it down and lightly flour a large clean surface (your counter).
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Using your fingers, spread the dough into an even 12 × 12" square (approximate – it doesn't have to be exact). You can use a rolling pin for this step, but the dough will not be as light and fluffy so I recommend just spreading it with your hands!
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Once the dough is spread out, evenly spread the butter on top of the dough (I use my hands for this step). Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the butter and sprinkle the cinnamon evenly on top of the brown sugar.
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Roll the dough, starting at one edge and carefully roll it up into a tight log. Using a sharp knife cut the log in half lengthways: cut carefully, to prevent too much filling from spilling out!
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With the exposed filling side up, twist the two pieces together to make a braid, tucking the ends underneath. Place the twisted loaf into greased 9 x 5” loaf pan. Don't worry about it looking perfect!
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Bake for around 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and remove from the pan to cool before enjoying.

I had to make this today as it looked and sounded so good. But I’m not talented when it comes to baking. After I braided the two logs together, it was so long and puffy still, I squished it to fit into the loaf pan. It’s currently in the oven and rising so high, I think it’s going to touch the roof (I’m using a toaster over) probably not the best idea. 🥰Hoping this will work at the end and look somewhat like yours Tori 😉 It sure smells great!
Is rolling it into a 24×24 square correct? I had much too long of a log to just place into the loaf pan and had to fold it in half, is that correct? And no second rising time after shaping into loaf pan?
Hi Alison!
Yes you would just twist it back on itself and it should rise once you have it in that pan! Let me double check the instructions!
Any chance this could partially be done the day before? Wondering if it’ll work as a holiday morning treat.
Hey Nicole! To make these ahead, simply twist the dough, place them in the greased pan as directed and cover them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate immediately! In the morning, take the dish out of the fridge and let it sit and reach room temperature and until they have doubled in size (if they haven’t already). Bake as directed and enjoy your superhero morning moment! xo Tori