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This easy Swirled Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Loaf is kind of like a croissant, kind of like a cinnamon roll, but most importantly…it’s kind of INCREDIBLE! This light, buttery, super soft, and extra flaky croissant loaf is swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar. It makes for the most delicious, extra fancy, and super cozy addition to your autumn weekend. This loaf is great on its own, warm with butter, or equally delicious smeared with homemade apple butter. It’s best enjoyed with my favorite pumpkin latte for the coziest fall treat…any time of the day. Or use this bread to make your favorite french toast – the options are endless with this amazing texture. Bonus? Making this pretty loaf is easier than you might think.
It’s the first Friday of October and I am in full-on autumn baking GO mode. Anyone else?
I know it’s not just me because my Instagram feed is flooded with photos of pumpkin bread, jack-o-lantern cookies, and apple cake. I think it’s safe to say everyone is slowly settling into these cozy autumn days. Am I right?
I sure hope so, because I have the very best recipe to share with you all today. It’s one you’re going to find yourself making over and over again.
Watch Me Make This:
Say hello to the croissant loaf…with cinnamon sugar and more butter than you’d think a loaf of bread could ever need. It’s perfection and your weekend NEEDS this bread.
Here’s the story, this started out as a scone recipe, but the scones turned out a bit crumbly. Somehow my scones mixture then morphed into a croissant loaf. Cinnamon sugar was added, and the loaf turned out so good.
And that’s the story. It’s not that the scones weren’t good, because they were. But when my thoughts turned to a croissant loaf the scones just seemed to fade away.
Let’s be real, if you have the choice between a scone and a croissant, you’re going to choose the croissant. Always the croissant.
I debated adding things like chocolate and pumpkin butter, but in the end, I just wanted cinnamon sugar. Because sometimes you just want the classics. And even though there’s no pumpkin or apple in this recipe, this loaf still screams fall to me. It’s sweet, buttery, has warming cinnamon, and is all-around one of the best fall treats you can make.
Here are the details:
As the title suggests, this loaf is EASY.
BUT, looking at the recipe steps may just scare you off. There are a lot of them. But only because I wanted to provide you guys with good detailed directions on exactly how to make this loaf. There is a lot of butter, layering, and rolling. But unlike traditional croissants, this loaf takes 3-4 hours total, not 3 days. Most of the time is spent rising, and honestly, you can’t mess this loaf up. As long as you have the dough made, and some cinnamon sugar, all will be good.
A step-by-step breakdown for you…
1st, make the dough. It’s simple: milk, instant yeast, honey, flour, and salt. Nothing fancy.
2nd, roll the dough out.
3rd, add very thin slices of COLD butter to the center of the dough. This is your “butter packet” (see all my photos for visuals).
4th, roll it out. Again. Freeze 20 minutes.
5th, roll it out. Again. Add cinnamon sugar and roll the dough into a log.
6th, cut the log into rolls and arrange the rolls in a loaf pan.
7th, let the dough rise.
8th, bake until golden brown. Smell the wonderful, warming, cozy, and delicious smells coming from your oven.
9th, eat and enjoy.
The key steps?
Folding the dough and freezing the dough. The multiple folds evenly spread the butter throughout the dough. And the freezing quickly chills the butter and creates all the buttery air packets throughout each loaf.
Do not skip either step.
Fall additions you could make…
Along with the cinnamon sugar, you could also add pumpkin butter, apple butter, or even chopped chocolate.
If you do decide to add pumpkin or apple butter, spread it over the dough in place of the butter, then add the cinnamon sugar.
If using chocolate, use finely chopped chocolate and sprinkle over top the cinnamon sugar.
YUM.
I know, this kind of seems like a lot, but I promise you guys, this is easy. You can make this.
And like I side, you can’t mess it up. Because nothing could ever be bad about a buttery loaf of bread with cinnamon sugar. And yes, this recipe uses close to three sticks of butter. It’s a lot, but it sure is good.
And it’s fall, it’s the weekend, and you should enjoy it.
Best part? This recipe makes 2 loaves. One for this weekend and one for your sweet friends, neighbor, or to freeze and enjoy mid-week.
And with that, I’ll leave you with the recipe. Please make this soon, this weekend would be ideal. And do enjoy with my favorite pumpkin latte for a truly delectable autumn treat any time of the day. ENJOY and see you guys tomorrow for the first “spooky” cocktail Saturday…finally!
If you make this easy swirled cinnamon sugar croissant loaf be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Swirled Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Loaf.
Servings: 18 makes 2 (9x5 inch) loaves
Calories Per Serving: 300 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups warm whole milk
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, sliced into thin pieces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, honey, 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons room temp butter and mix until combined, about 2-3 minutes more, adding the additional 1/2 cup flour as needed, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle that’s about 12x18 inches. Layer the thin slices of cold butter down the middle 1/3 the dough, pressing gently to adhere and layering the slices together to create a rectangle of butter. Gently push the butter together with your hands (see above photo). 4. First fold: Fold 1/3 of the dough over the butter, then fold the other 1/3 over top of the first layer so you have 3 dough layers (like an envelope, see above photo). Roll the dough out again into a large rectangle, fold into thirds. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes..5. Second Fold: Remove the dough from the freezer. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 12x18 inches) and fold into envelope. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes.6. Meanwhile, butter two (9x5 inch) bread pans. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. 7. Remove the dough from the freezer. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons softened butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter. Starting with the edge of dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edges to seal.8. Cut the dough log in half. Cut each half into 10-11 rolls. Arrange each roll into the prepared bread pans. You can place them seam side down, or alternate each roll to show more of the filling (see above photo). Cover and let rise 15 minutes. 9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bread pans on a rimmed baking sheet and brush each loaf with the beaten egg. Transfer to the oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until dark brown on top. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
To Make Ahead: prepare the bread through step 8. Do not let the bread rise at room temp. Cover the loaves of bread and place in the fridge for up to overnight. When ready to bake, remove the bread from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Freeze The Dough Before Baking: prepare the bread through step 8. Do not let the bread rise at room temp. Cover the loaves of dough tightly and freeze in the bread pans for up to 3 month. When ready to bake, remove the bread from the freeze and thaw for 2-3 hours on the counter, then bake as directed.
To Freeze The Bread After Baking: bake the bread as directed and allow to cool completely. Once cool, wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and warm or toast before serving.
Leftovers: the bread is best served warm after baking, but the leftover bread is delicious when lightly toasted or served at room temperature.
This post was originally published on October 4, 2019
Just made these and they are scrumptious and relatively simple to make. I added raisins, as my husband loves the combination of cinnamon and raisins. Yum!! The lamination technique, folding the dough with the butter and rolling, was pretty cool. Definitely made the flaky layers, as promised! A few tips, though, that I think need to be included: The yeast measurement at 1 tablespoon is easier to think of as two of the typical square packets. And when you bake the loaves, put a tray or jelly roll pan underneath them. The amount of butter and height of the dough from rising makes a butter drip over the pans. We had a smoke-filled kitchen before I added the pan! Luckily no burned butter smokiness spoiled the dough. I’m adding this recipe to my collection!
I am so happy to hear that these turned out so well for you Jeanne! Thank you so much! xTieghan
So easy, so fun, uses tons of butter which is something I can’t get enough of! Its beautiful and leaves the house smelling like a fall day. Who doesn’t want to come home to the smell of baking cinnamon bread! All and all a great day and can’t wait until it comes out of the oven. I know the taste will match its beautiful presence!
I am so glad this turned out amazing for you Jill! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks delicious. Have you ever tried making bread with any of the “measure for measure” gluten free flours? I’ve used them for other baking, but not bread. Wondering if it would work?
Hi Elaine! I know they have worked for others, but I have never personally tried it. I am sorry about that! xTieghan
This recipe is so delicious as every recipe you show us. I follow you and have tried many of your recipes and love everything you do with food ?
I am so glad you loved this Rita! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hi,
This recipe indicates there is baking powder in the recipe however; there is no mention of it in the list of ingredients. Does it really use baking powder with yeast?
HI there! There is no baking powder used within this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
I could use some help from the comments section! I’ve tried making this recipe twice now, and I can’t seem to get past the first step! My dough keeps coming together well before 4-5 minutes, and it doesn’t slowly pull away from the bowl like the video Teighan posted on Instagram. It forms into a lump of dough within like a minute. It’s almost too neat, if that makes sense. So then I add in butter because I don’t want to over mix it. But then it doesn’t rise. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong—anyone have any suggestions or feedback?
Hey Becca! from what you are explaining, it sounds like your dough is coming together perfectly. My only question is why your dough is not rising. Are you using instant yeast or active dry yeast? Any details you can provide me with will be really helpful in problem solving and understanding what might be happening to your dough. Thank you! xTieghan ???
I made this and love the flavor and the texture, but cooked it fif 45 minutes and it was doughy in the middle. Havd you ever had this happen? I pug it back in the oven for 15-20 more minutes. Do you usually cook it on a convection setting?
Hey Lisa! My bread is soft and doughy in the center when I bake this, but not undercooked. Was yours underdone? I do not use the convection when baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
This sounds delicious and can’t wait to make it. It does seem a little daunting with all the steps though. I’m a little afraid to mess it up. Would it be possible to do a video?
Thanks!
Hi Amanda! I will work on that! Thank you! xTieghan
Is it possible to bake the slices separately instead in a loaf? And if so, how long would I bake them?
Hi Martha, when you say separately, do you mean like cinnamon rolls? If so, sure! I would bake only 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Hi!. So excited to try this recipe, but I do have one question. For the thinly sliced butter, am I supposed to use 2 sticks or 2 1/4 sticks? The ingredient list calls for both 2 sticks but the has 1 1/4 cup in parentheses. Thanks!!
Hi Kristin! You only need 2 sticks butter for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Hi Tieghan!
I made this last night, along with your apple butter and they were tasty!
However, all the butter leaked out out the croissant, leaving the top of the loaf very dry and the bottom basically soggy and fried in butter! I followed your instructions exactly, but I think this may be to do with the final rise right before you put it in the oven, as the butter warms up too much before baking. If I’ve learnt anything from the Great British Bake Off, it’s to put your puff pastry in the oven as cold as possible, so all the butter doesn’t leak out!
Did you have this problem at all? I might try again without the final prove to see how it goes. Lizzie x
Hey Lizzie! I have never had this issue, but it does make complete sense. Thank you so much for leaving this tip! I am going to test this out next time I make this bread. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan ???
Made it today and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY! Thank you for the wonderful recipe and making my house smell amazing 🙂 Question— how do you recommend I store it for best freshness?
Hi Aryn! So glad this turned out so well for you! I store the bread in a sealed container at room temp for up to 4 days. You can also freeze for up to 4 months. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan ???
You listed one egg for brushing, but I don’t see it in the instructions. Do we brush the loaf before baking?
Hey Jacob! Yes, you should brush the loaves before baking. I have fixed the recipe. So sorry for the typo! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Just made this this morning… With GF flour that is supposed to be 1-to-1. I’m certain the gluten-free flour was the problem, as there was SO much butter that it was just not a very nice result. Might try it again with half the cold butter called for in the recipe. It has potential. We love your recipes, Tieghan, but we just can’t have wheat in our house. ? Desserts are a fave, but we usually don’t even try due to the unreliability of using GF flour (nothing acts like real gluten?♀️). Thanks for always coming up with tempting recipes! Tomorrow I’m making your Indian pumpkin & chickpea butter recipe for our dinner. ?✌?❤️
Hi Kristi! I am sorry this did not turn out too well with GF flour, but hopefully it turns out better with less butter… I have a bunch of recipes that do not require flour as well! I hope you check them out! xTieghan
Kelly,
My first thought was that any bread that beautiful must be challenging to make.. First off, your directions are flawless and very helpful to the fearful bread maker. Decided this was the perfect recipe for a rainy cold day. My loaves just came out of the oven and they are perfect! I seemed to have plenty of dough so I made a couple mini loaves too. Nothing better than warm cinnamon bread and this one is particularly good with all the crispy nooks and crannies. What a treat and a new favorite! Thank you.
Hi Paula! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much! xTieghan