Go Back
Piece of cinnamon sugar twisted croissant bread.

Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Croissant Bread

Yield: 4 loaves
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 42 minutes

Ingredients

Butter Packet:

  • 1 cup salted butter, cool room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Dough:

  • 2 cups warm water, 105-110 degrees F
  • 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (see note)

Instructions 

  • For the butter packet: grab a piece of parchment paper about 16 1/4-inches by 12-inches (doesn't have to be exact, but should be close to those dimensions). Fold the two short edges of the parchment in toward each other about 4 1/2 inches. They will overlap a bit. Crease the edges well.
  • Keep those edges folded in and fold the top and bottom edges in about 1 3/4-inches. It should form a little parchment packet when folded with the center rectangle dimensions about 8 1/2-inches by 7-inches (see note below for a visual). Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip the butter with the granulated sugar and cinnamon until well-combined.
  • Unfold the parchment. Scrape the butter into the center square. Fold up the packet using the pre-creased folds and flip over so the folded edges are on the bottom.
  • Use a rolling pin (or press with your hands), lightly roll the softened butter into a thin sheet so it reaches all the edges of the parchment packet and has a relatively even thickness. Chill in the fridge until firm.
  • For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, yeast and sugar, and let sit until foamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix until a soft dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl. Add additional flour, a little at a time, if the dough is sticking to the dough hook or sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not overly sticky.
  • Knead for 3-4 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover the bowl or transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about an hour.
  • Lightly deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll into a rectangle about 18-inches by 11- or 12-inches.
  • Take the butter packet out of the refrigerator, and unfold the parchment (but leave the butter on the parchment paper). Place the butter packet face down on the center of the rolled out bread dough. Peel the parchment carefully off the butter leaving the butter sheet on the dough.
  • Work quickly and don't over work the dough during the next couple steps of folding and rolling so the butter doesn't get too soft!
  • Fold one short side of dough about halfway to 2/3 over the butter. Fold the other short side of dough over the butter, overlapping the first folded side by about an inch.
  • Fold the top and bottom edges over about 1/2- to 1-inch and press to seal.
  • Fold the dough in half (from right to left or vice versa) once more.Starting in the center, roll the dough out into a long, thin rectangle, about 8-inches by 22-inches. If the dough springs back when rolling, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let the gluten relax and roll again.
  • Fold one short edge of the long rectangle into the center. Repeat with the other short edge so they meet in the middle. Fold the dough in half (from one of the short sides). Let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes.
  • Prepare two half sheet pans by lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (400 degrees F for a darker crust).
  • Roll into a 12-inch or 13-inch square. If the dough springs back when rolling, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let the gluten relax and roll again. Cut the square into four strips.
  • Take each strip, twist it 3-4 times and place on the prepared sheet pans (two strips per sheet pan, spaced several inches apart).
  • Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy (the dough can rise in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours – when taking out of the refrigerator, if it hasn't risen enough, let it come to room temp and continue rising until nearly doubled). You don't want to let these loaves rise in an overly warm spot or the butter will melt before it hits the oven and you won't get the flaky, buttery layers.
  • Bake the loaves until nicely golden, 20-22 minutes.
  • Immediately out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush any leaked butter on the sheet pan over the top of the loaves. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with cinnamon sugar.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature. Bread can be sliced or torn into pieces.

Notes

Cinnamon Sugar: mix 1/2 cup sugar with 4 teaspoons cinnamon (increase cinnamon, if desired) for sprinkling on the baked bread. Store extra cinnamon sugar topping in a covered container at room temperature (will keep for several weeks).
Folding Parchment: see the pictures in this post for a visual on folding the parchment for the butter packet.