We Asked A Pastry Chef How To Fix Gaps In Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

When making cinnamon swirl bread, the phrase "mind the gap" takes on an entirely new meaning. As the loaf bakes, the rolled-up dough may pull away from the cinnamon filling, creating gaps of space in the crumb. To help you banish this bread baking mistake and turn out picture-perfect slices, we asked Walleska Cianfanelli, Executive Pastry Chef at Wilton Sweet Studio, for some essential cinnamon bread tips.

There are several reasons why air pockets form between the layers of cinnamon bread dough. They can be created by yeast as it releases gas; by steam that evaporates out of the crumb; or the dough and filling simply aren't sticking together. Cianfanelli explained why this can happen. "Some causes of this might be the filling layer is too thick or greasy," she says, "the dough is rolled too tightly [and] forcing air to stay trapped inside; dough is under-proofed and expands too quickly in the oven, pushing the spiral apart; or there is an excess of flour on the dough preventing the layers to stick together."

Beyond properly proofing and rolling your dough (and not caking it in flour), Cianfanelli told us to "Lightly brush the rolled-out dough with a binding element before adding the cinnamon filling. A thin layer of egg wash or a small amount of milk works great for this as it gently sticks the layers together." This egg hack transforms cinnamon raisin bread by using the ingredient's plentiful proteins to fuse the layers. 

A binder can work wonders for your cinnamon swirl bread, but too much moisture in the filling will still lead to gaps. As the combo of butter, cinnamon, and sugar heats in the oven, it melts and turns slippery, separating the layers. To prevent the interior of the bread from resembling a Slip 'N Slide, Cianfanelli uses an ingredient that doesn't add a distracting taste. "I prefer a small amount of all-purpose flour added directly to the cinnamon-sugar filling," she said. "It lightly thickens melted butter and sugar as they bake, turning them into a smooth caramel. Cornstarch is a great alternative!"

For one loaf of bread, Cianfanelli recommended one to two teaspoons of all-purpose flour in the filling, or ½ teaspoon of cornstarch. The powder does a great job at soaking up the water in the sweet swirl. This tip is especially useful when making cinnamon-apple swirl bread or any other variation with fresh fruit, which adds even more moisture to the filling.

On the mention of fruit, making cinnamon raisin bread can present its own challenges. Raisins break up the consistency of the dough and may sink during baking, causing air pockets to form around them. The best way to dodge this annoyance is to chop the fruit by hand or in a food processor. This easy prep step keeps raisins evenly spread in cinnamon bread by making them lighter and less disruptive to the structure of the loaf.