This delicious cinnamon crunch bread is a sweet yeast bread, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating, all baked up in a cast iron skillet. It’s a great breakfast or brunch cinnamon bread.

cinnamon crunch bread in cast iron skillet
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Why I love this cinnamon crunch bread

  • There is probably no better way to greet the morning than with warm cinnamon bread!
  • This cinnamon crunch bread is rolled in cinnamon sugar, then twisted into a round and tucked into a skillet to bake. It makes for a pretty loaf that can be the centrepiece of a breakfast or Brunch table.
  • The scent of this cinnamon crunch bread while baking was intoxicating, sort of like when you’re at the mall and getting close to the Cinnabon™ store. We could hardly wait to get at it! It was lovely and crunchy on the outside and fluffy and sweet on the inside. It’s a perfect morning treat!

Ingredients and substitutions

Yeast – you can use Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast for this bread. I’ve included instructions for both in the Recipe Card.

You will also need – butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, white sugar, salt, milk, vanilla and a bit of maple syrup (optional).

Overnight rise option

If you’d like to enjoy this cinnamon crunch bread warm from the oven, make it the night before, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake and enjoy!

Recipe tips!

When making yeast bread dough, always keep in mind that the amount of flour needed is always approximate, as it will vary slightly from kitchen to kitchen. Add as much flour as needed to make a smooth moist dough.

cinnamon crunch bread in cast iron skillet

Making ahead, storing and freezing

See the Overnight Rise option above for making this one the night before. Once baked, this cinnamon crunch bread keeps well in the skillet, covered with plastic wrap, for 2-3 days at room temperature.

This cinnamon crunch bread will also freeze well. Wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months.

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cinnamon crunch bread in cast iron skillet

Get the Recipe: Skillet Cinnamon Crunch Bread

A lovely breakfast or brunch cinnamon crunch bread, with all the flavours of cinnamon rolls, served up in a skillet.
5 stars from 2 ratings
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time:: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 3 teaspoons instant or dry active yeast
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water, about 105F
  • 3 cups all purpose flour, plus more, as needed
  • 3 Tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
  • 1 cup milk, warmed to 105-110° F.
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

For brushing the dough:

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For coating the dough in:

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Streusel topping:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, cold
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:

  • 2 cups icing/confectioners sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Make the dough: Add the yeast to the lukewarm water. Stir and let stand 5 minutes. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warmed milk, vegetable oil and yeast mixture. Knead with the dough hook until dough is smooth, adding more flour a Tablespoon at a time, as necessary, until you have a smooth, moist dough. Remove dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise to doubled, about 60 minutes.
  • Grease a skillet and set aside. (My skillet is 8" bottom diameter and 10" top diameter. Anything of a similar size will work).
  • Divide dough into two pieces and roll into a rope about 3 feet long. Place the dough onto a long piece of parchment or foil wrap and liberally brush with melted butter mixed with the vanilla. Pour the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly alongside the buttered ropes and then roll the ropes in the mixture until evenly covered. Pinch the end of the ropes together and then twist them together, pinching the other end once all twisted together.
  • Place twisted ropes into the skillet, starting from the centre and winding it around. (If you have some melted butter left over from brushing, feel free to drizzle it over the dough). Cover the skillet with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the streusel topping by combining dry ingredients and cutting in the cold butter with a fork. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Once dough is doubled, sprinkle with streusel topping and bake for 40-45 minutes, covering it with foil after 25 or 30 minutes if is dark enough.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by combining the wet ingredients and adding to the powdered sugar. Stir well until smooth. Pour evenly over bread once it has cooled a bit.

Notes

Overnight Rise Option: Prepare through to placing the bread into the skillet, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge in the morning, preheat the oven and bake.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Snack
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 401mg, Potassium: 139mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 315IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 2mg
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