Amish-Style Cinnamon Bread Recipe

Traditional Amish cinnamon bread is commonly called friendship bread because of the custom of sharing sourdough starter with a fellow baker who's still learning the ropes. However, Mashed recipe developer Christina Musgrave keeps it straightforward with this Amish-style cinnamon bread that cuts out the need for a bread starter of any kind. Unlike homemade sourdough, this quick bread recipe is simple to make and goes from mixer to oven in no time. 

Musgrave shares, "I like how easy this recipe is — it's really simple to make and tastes so good!" Much like the original Amish recipe, this sweet loaf gets a decadent cinnamon sugar swirl, both on the top layer and nestled in the middle of the loaf. The result is visually appealing, complete with a sugary, crunchy top and a delightful twist in every slice. Serve it with coffee to satisfy that mid-morning slump, and any sweet cravings are sure to be quelled.

For the bread batter, soften a stick of unsalted butter, then get an egg, sugar, whole milk, all-purpose flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. As for the swirl and topping, you'll just need extra cinnamon and sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter, egg, and 1 cup sugar.

Add milk, flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Pour half of the cake batter into a greased loaf pan.

Top with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture, and swirl.

Add the remaining batter, then the rest of the cinnamon sugar, and swirl.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Let cool for 20 minutes, then slice and serve.

A loaf pan offers an excellent format for this sweet treat, as it makes the bread easy to bake and slice into individual portions. Nevertheless, if you want the portion size to be slightly more controlled, try turning this into muffins. "The bake time will be different, but you could easily make this recipe in muffin tins," Musgrave comments. Indeed, muffins are typically ready in a bit less than half the time it takes to bake a quick bread loaf. 

Alternatively, a square or round cake pan can work too, but you'll have to be more vigilant about checking the bread for doneness. Instead of setting the oven timer and walking away, set the timer far earlier than you think is necessary and check the progress of the cake with a toothpick. Regardless of the format, you're looking for the toothpick to come out of the center clean.

Obviously, this delightful Amish-style cinnamon bread doesn't need anything to enhance its already perfect nature. With its crackly cinnamon sugar top and rich swirl making its way through every slice, it's hard to imagine anything improving it. Musgrave likes to keep it simple and shares, "I love adding a little salted butter to a slice and serving it with coffee." 

Spread the butter on while the cinnamon bread is still warm so that it melts easily over the surface. Coffee is a natural pairing for a sweet slice of bread, but other beverages like tea or a glass of milk go just as well. If your sweet tooth is especially active, you might want to spread a thin layer of hazelnut butter over the top, but thin is the key word here — this cinnamon sugar bread really doesn't need much extra sweetness. And of course, hot chocolate is the ultimate sweet beverage if you're heading that route.

Musgrave notes that this recipe yields 8 portions, and depending on who you're serving, that means you might have leftovers. While chances are you'll get through the rest of the loaf before the freshness starts to decrease, it's important to store extras in optimal conditions so they last. "I store leftovers in an airtight container," Musgrave comments, so find something with a sealable lid. 

She adds, "You can keep this on the counter or refrigerate it, although I personally like to refrigerate the bread." This is up to your cinnamon bread-eating preference, and whether you enjoy biting into something at room temperature or with a slight chill (though a quick zap in the microwave will fix that too). Keep in mind that if it's mid-summer in an non-air conditioned home, storing the container in the fridge might be a more suitable option to ensure freshness.