The cinnamon crust is delightful and inside of this glazed cinnamon bread is so soft with cinnamon swirled throughout.
Personalize cinnamon loaves with a sugar crust ready to be toasted, or eaten with a creamy glaze.
Best Cinnamon Bread Recipe
GLAZED CINNAMON BREAD RECIPE
1 cup warm (110 degrees) water
1 TBS sugar
Two (.25oz) pkgs active dry yeast
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup homemade unsalted butter
1 cup raisins (optional)
1-1/2 cups milk
8 cups flour
Sugar Crust:
1 TBS flour
1/4 cup sugar
Cinnamon Swirl:
3/4 cup white sugar
4 TBS cinnamon
2 TBS butter, softened
Place yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in with the warm water; setting aside until yeast is frothy (approximately 15 minutes).
Mix in eggs, sugar, salt, butter or margarine and raisins. Stir in milk. Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl, and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle; approximately 24 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Spread the softened butter over the surface.
Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the buttered dough. Sprinkle with raisins if you are using them. Roll up tightly; the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter.
Mix the sugar crust ingredients together and sprinkle (then pat) over the entire surface. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends. Place loaves into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans. Spray the tops of the loaves lightly with vegetable or butter flavored spray. Let rise again for 1 hour.
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 loaf pans.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter and then the glaze (optional). Let cool before slicing.
Glaze
1/2 cup homemade powdered sugar
2 TBS homemade unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
milk
Mix the first 4 ingredients together and add milk – 1 tablespoon at a time – until desired consistency is achieved.
Another great option is adding 1 cup of raisins to the dough for a beautiful loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread. I love it with the glaze (recipe above). Excellent toasted with almond butter and bananas. See for yourself.