Cutting into a loaf of cinnamon swirl sourdough bread has the same energy as a gender reveal: it’s beyond exciting to see a perfect spiral of brown sugar and cinnamon peeking back at you.

But getting to that moment is NOT easy. After six attempts (yes, six), I finally cracked the code for a zero-stress, zero-leakage cinnamon sugar sourdough loaf that also delivers a dreamy swirl.

If you follow me on my Instagram stories, you know how much effort went into this experiment.

Catch a recap of this entire journey here:

I’m as humble as they come, but this recipe truly checks all the boxes:

• No stress during the shaping
• A perfect swirl in every loaf
• No leaking sugar that’s messy and ends up burning in the oven
• No separation of the layers inside

I gave up on cinnamon sugar sourdough bread for months because I loathed the entire process. Not anymore!

If you’ve been dreaming of a cinnamon swirl sourdough that feels artisan-level but approachable, this recipe is for you.

If you prefer a soft bread, like the Pepperidge Farms cinnamon swirl bread, try this recipe: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Sourdough Bread Recipe (Pepperidge Farms Copycat)

YouTube Step-by-Step Tutorial

If you’re a visual person, or just want to pick up on those details you can only see on film, here is a YouTube tutorial.

It has timestamps in the description so you can jump ahead to whichever step you need.

Baker’s Timeline

Day 1
9:00 PM	Feed your starter a 1:5:5 feeding ratio.
Day 2
8:00 AM	Mix the dough, cover, and let sit on the counter for 30 mins.
8:30 AM	Stretch and fold #1.
9:00 AM	Stretch and fold #2.
9:30 AM	Stretch and fold/coil fold #3.
10:00 AM	Stretch and fold/coil fold #4; let the dough bulk ferment. Timing varies.
4:00 PM	Laminate the dough and add cinnamon sugar mixture. Flip into lined banneton and refrigerate overnight.
Day 3
Anytime	Score & Bake at 450°F for 30 min covered, 10-15 mins uncovered.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• Water: I use water straight from my faucet. I live in the country and have well water; I’ve never had any issues. However, I’ve seen others recommend using Spring water.
• Active Sourdough Starter: Bubbly and at its peak for baking. Related: Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With? How I Can Tell
• Sea Salt: I use sea salt – pink Himalayan at the moment, but I switch it up. Just try to avoid salt with anti-caking agents.
• Bread Flour: I use King Arthur’s unbleached bread flour (12.7% protein) for all my loaves.
• Whole Wheat Flour: I used Sunrise Flour Mills for this one. Adds a nutty flavor and speeds up fermentation, but if whole wheat is not your thing, you can use all bread flour.

For the Filling:

• Softened Butter: Set it out beforehand so your cinnamon sugar mixture is the right consistency. 
• Cinnamon: The star of this recipe! Ceylon cinnamon seems to be everyone’s favorite. Saigon cinnamon packs a spicy punch.
• Brown Sugar: Cinnamon’s wingman; adds that irresistible sweetness. If you don’t have any on hand, you can mix white sugar with molasses to make your own.
• Bread Flour: A bit of bread flour in the cinnamon sugar mixture helps absorb some of the moisture so it’s not too runny. It also helps the filling stay in place when you roll it up which is one of the secrets to the perfect swirl! You can sub in all-purpose flour, no problem.

How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread (Step by Step)

Step 1: Feed Your Starter

Getting your starter ready at the perfect time is all about the feeding ratio. If you want it ready by morning, feed it right before bed using a 1:5:5 ratio. This slows things down so it peaks in 10-12 hours.

Mix 15g starter + 75g water + 75g bread flour so you end up with about 45g extra to maintain your starter.

Alternatively, if you’re starting in the morning and want it ready by around noon, go with a 1:1:1 ratio, which speeds things up so it peaks in 4-6 hours. For that, mix 50g starter + 50g water + 50g bread flour. 

Either way, you’ll know it’s ready when it’s bubbly, flat on top, and ideally, tripled in size.

Not sure if your starter has peaked? Check out: Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With? How I Can Tell

Step 2: Mix the Dough

When your starter has peaked, mix everything for the dough in a bowl: 325g water + 120g active sourdough starter + 10g sea salt + 400g bread flour + 100g whole wheat flour (or just 500g bread flour if you prefer—no other changes needed).

If you’d rather skip the whole wheat, you can use 500g of bread flour instead—no other changes needed. You could reduce the water by 10-20g if you want the same texture, but I say keep it simple!

Mix until fully combined. The dough may look shaggy and feel sticky at this stage—that’s normal! It may not be smooth or even yet, but as long as everything is mixed, you’re good to go. I kneaded by hand for 4-5 minutes.

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap, a shower cap, or a dish towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes—this kicks off bulk fermentation.

This is when you can set out 4 tablespoons of butter to soften for later.

Step 3: Stretch and Folds

After 30 minutes, start your first set of stretch and folds.

With the dough still in the bowl, grab one side, stretch it upward, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat this on all four sides. I typically do 8-10 stretches, or until the dough tightens up and resists me.

Do this every 30 minutes for 3-5 rounds, depending on how strong the dough feels.

If you’re not sure, it’s always safe to aim for 4 rounds.

For the last couple of rounds, you can switch it up and try a coil fold. Lift the dough from the center, let the edges drape down, and tuck them underneath as you set it back down. Coil folds are gentler on the dough and don’t pop as many bubbles, which start forming as the bulk fermentation goes on.

After all your folds, cover the dough and let it rest until it’s finished fermenting. 

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

Remember, the fermentation clock started as soon as you added your starter to the dough. 

I’ve always followed charts in the past to know when to cut off bulk fermentation, but lately, I’ve been pushing those limits and learned that how the dough looks and feels matters more. Learning to read the dough has been a massive help for me.

You want to see a dough that’s airy, puffy, and slightly domed with tons of bubbles all around the sides of the bowl. It should jiggle like jello when you shake the bowl and feel soft and puffy when poked.

Don’t be afraid to push the limits a bit. Slightly overproofed dough tends to bake up better than underproofed dough, so when in doubt, just let it sit a little longer.

For me, this takes about 8 hours at a 70°F (21°C) temperature, but every kitchen is a little different, so just keep an eye on it. The dough will tell you when it’s ready.

Step 5: Spread Into a Rectangle

Now that bulk fermentation is done, it’s time to shape your dough for the cinnamon filling.

If you were making a regular sourdough loaf, this is when you’d pre-shape. But for a cinnamon swirl loaf, skipping pre-shaping makes it easier to stretch into a rectangle since there’s less tension on the dough. 

Mist your counter with a little water to prevent sticking (optional, but helpful) and turn the dough out.

Stretch the dough into a 13×16 inch rectangle for the filling. You don’t necessarily need a measuring tape, but if you’re not sure how far to stretch, this is about the size my dough was during recipe testing.

If you see any thin areas or holes, just stretch some extra dough over it to patch them up to avoid any big holes in the crumb.

Step 6: Add the Filling

In a small bowl, mix 4 tbsp softened butter + 1 tbsp cinnamon + 5 tbsp brown sugar + 2 tbsp bread flour.

Tip: Your butter needs to be soft to get the right consistency. If you forgot to set it out, pop it in the microwave on the “soften” setting until the center is soft and the edges are slightly melted. If the mixture still feels too dry, add an extra tablespoon of butter or pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.

With your dough rectangle in front of you (long side at the bottom), imagine it divided into three columns. Spread half the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the middle column (and maybe slightly more) using a silicone spatula.

Then, grab the left edge of the dough and fold it toward the middle. Repeat with the right edge so you have one long seam down the center. Pinch the top and bottom to seal in the filling so no cinnamon filling leaks out. 

Spread the rest of the cinnamon sugar filling evenly over the top, leaving about an inch on each side. This will help create a clean seal so it doesn’t leak out.

Step 7: Roll It Up

Grab the bottom edge of your dough (a bench scraper helps if it’s sticking) and start rolling it up toward the top. Try to keep cinnamon sugar off the edges so the seam seals properly.

When you get to the end, gently pinch the seam to close it up. If you can see the swirls at the ends, push them to the inside with your fingers and pinch the ends shut. You want a good seal, but don’t squeeze too hard—you don’t want to tear the dough.

Step 8: Cold Retard

Pick up your dough log and plop it into the banneton, seam-side up. 

A silicone batard-shaped banneton would be ideal if you’re worried about any cinnamon sugar leaking during the cold proof. But since I didn’t have one, I used my wood pulp banneton lined with a thin towel, and it worked out well.

You can flour the dish towel if you want, but you don’t have to. The dough peels off easily without it.

Try not to mess with the dough too much here. Just make sure the seams are sealed, and if there’s a spot that’s not, gently pinch it shut being careful not to mess up that swirl!

Cover it with the extra dish towel and put it in the fridge overnight. Anywhere from 8 hours to 4 days works, but overnight is best.

Step 6: Score & Bake

The next day (or at least 8 hours later), preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with your Dutch oven or bread dome inside to heat up.

Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. I’d normally use a bread sling, but on cinnamon swirl loaves, I stick with parchment paper for easier cleanup in case any filling leaks out. 

Even though I’m confident after baking this recipe successfully a few times, I’d still recommend using parchment paper if this is your first go. Better safe than sorry! 

Score the top of your dough on a diagonal using a curved razor blade. The curve helps the blade glide through the dough at an angle, which helps it expand beautifully in the oven. You can also score straight down to prevent an ear from forming if you prefer.

If you want a more dramatic ear (the raised edge), you can go back over the score and lightly score just under the surface all the way down.

Bake your loaf for 30 minutes with the lid on.

Then remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered until it’s golden brown. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Every oven is a little different.

The bread is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 205-210°F (96-99°C).

Another cinnamon sourdough recipe you might like: Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)

FAQs

Can you add icing to the top?

Definitely! My mom loves to drizzle hers with a little icing. Just mix together 2 tablespoons of softened butter, 2-3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese, about 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla.  If you like your icing thicker, you can add more powdered sugar. Spread it on top of each slice like you would butter.

My butter mixture wasn’t as spreadable as yours. What gives?

Some bakers have mentioned that their butter mixture turned out more crumbly than mine. The likely culprit? Butter consistency. I tend to forget to set mine out to soften, so I use the microwave’s soften function, which leaves it soft in the center with slightly melted edges. If your mixture is too dry, simply mix in another tablespoon of softened or melted butter to make it more spreadable.

How can I shape this into a boule instead of a batard?

I’ve perfected the swirl shaping for a batard, but I’m still refining it for a boule. For now, I suggest stretching the dough into a square rather than a rectangle—this creates shorter sides, making it easier to roll up and pinch the seams into a rounder shape. I’m still testing, but this should help achieve a more even boule!

Can’t you just put this in a loaf pan?

Absolutely! You can roll it up and bake it in a loaf pan for an easier approach. I just wanted to perfect this method for an artisan-style loaf.

Can I use my own sourdough bread recipe as the base?

Yes, if you have a favorite sourdough bread recipe, you can use that for the main dough.

Can the whole wheat flour be subbed out for bread flour?

Yes, you can use all bread flour in the main dough if you prefer. No other changes to the recipes are needed.

Can I add raisins?

You can add raisins during the lamination process to make a cinnamon raisin sourdough loaf. Soak 85g of raisins in vanilla extract (or water) for 30 minutes, then drain, saving the vanilla for later use in something like sourdough discard waffles. After spreading the cinnamon sugar mixture on the dough, sprinkle the soaked raisins on top, repeating this step each time you add the cinnamon mixture to ensure even distribution.

Other inclusion breads to try:

• Italian Herbs & Cheese Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Olive Parmesan Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Sourdough Bread Recipe

Conclusion

It took me quite a few tries (and almost happy tears when I finally nailed it), but I finally got that perfect cinnamon swirl!

Now, you can skip the trial and error and dive right into baking a perfectly swirled cinnamon sugar loaf.

Have you tried it? Let me know how it went in the comments below!

A good loaf to try next: The Best Lemon Blueberry Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe