Last Updated on August 19, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
Fermented Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Swirl Bread is one of our favorite breads, and it can be used in so many different ways. You can use the dough for rolls, a classic brioche loaf, or monkey bread.
As I’ve mentioned before when I shared the fermented sourdough bread recipe, the fermentation process breaks down the sugars and gluten, making it easy for the body to digest. It also contains probiotics from the fermentation process, making it a healthy option.
Fermented sourdough bread can often be tolerated by those with gluten sensitivities and can be a good first bread to try after you’ve been avoiding grains for a long period of time.
I know that fermented bread can be intimidating, so if you’re new to making these kinds of breads, this recipe is a good one to start with because it’s easy to handle and doesn’t require too many steps.
The dough is very forgiving and can be fermented for anywhere between 48-96 hours. You can make it earlier in the week, and then bake it when convenient. Keep in mind, you’ll make The levain on the first day, and then the next day you’ll put together the dough. After that, the dough will go in the refrigerator to ferment.
Here’s a picture of the Monkey Bread that I made using the sourdough brioche dough!
Here’s a video from my stories over on Instagram so you can see how to make this bread step-by-step.
If you have questions about this bread recipe, leave them in the comments below and I’ll be happy to answer!
PrintSourdough Brioche Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This recipe is adapted from my friend over at Min’s Kitchen. She is a master at sourdough breads and if she ever comes out with a cookbook, I’ll be first in line to purchase!
- Prep Time: 2 days 18 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 67 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Baking, Bread, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the levain:
- 100g organic all-purpose flour
- 100g filtered water
- 125g bubbly starter
- 23g organic cane sugar
For the Dough:
- 210g unsalted organic butter, melted and cooled
- 200g organic spelt flour
- 300g organic all purpose flour
- 250g levain (from above)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 75g organic cane sugar
- 45g whole milk, room temperature
- 9g Celtic sea salt
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Levain:
- The night before you want to make the dough, combine flour, water, starter, and organic cane sugar. Stir the ingredients together until combined. Cover with a clean cloth and let sit overnight for at least 8-10 hours.
For the dough:
- Place the butter, spelt, flour, 250g of the levain (from above), eggs, organic cane sugar, whole milk and sea salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix on low using the beater attachment for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the beater attachment and put on the dough hook. Mix for 8 minutes on medium.
Stretch and Fold:
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let sit for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough four times. After you stretch and fold the first time, place a clean cloth over the dough and let sit for 30 minutes. Then, stretch and fold the dough again, place a clean cloth over the dough and let sit for another 30 minutes. Repeat two more times for a total of four times.
- After the stretch and fold process, keep the dough in the bowl and cover the dough really well with plastic wrap (or a lid, if you have one) and place the dough in the refrigerator. Let the dough ferment for 48-72 hours. (I tested the dough at 48, 72, and 96 hours and they all baked really well, so it’s really your preferred how long you want to fermented it for.)
To Make the Cinnamon Swirl Bread:
- Flour clean space on the counter and roll the dough out to make an 11×8 rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with melted butter and then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon.
- Gently roll the dough into a “log”. Tuck the ends underneath and gently put into a buttered glass loaf pan. Cover with a clean cloth and let sit for 5-6 hours at room temperature (the size of the loaf won’t change much until it’s baked). Preheat the oven to 350ºF and adjust the rack to the middle position. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until golden brown on top.
The levain is 348g total weight. The Dough calls for 250g levain and the directions are to mix the levain ingredients to refreshed starter and use in dough.
Could you please clarify for me the total weight of levain to be used in the dough?
Thank you!
After you make the levain, you then measure out 250g of it and add it to the rest of the ingredients for the dough.
What happens the leftover levain? Can you ‘feed’ and reuse?
You use up most of it, but if you want to save the bit leftover, you can.
Thank you so much for clarifying. I’m going to make this.
Can we use another flour besides a spelt flour?
I haven’t tested this recipe with substitutions, so I’m not sure which ingredients will lend the exact same texture and flavor.
I’ve been making this bread for about a year, using only all purpose flour and it turns out beautifully.
Have you tried to make this dairy free? I know you sometimes do this for recipes, so I thought I’d ask before doing my own experimentation.
I haven’t tested this with any kind of alternatives to the butter or milk yet.
You can totally make any brioche recipe substituting water for milk and oil for butter, both 1:1, it won’t be as rich but will still taste great.
The following question proves that I’ve never attempted a fermented “anything” before. I notice the ingredients are all in “grams” with the exception of the cinnamon swirl ingredients. Is that normal for fermented recipes? I’m pretty certain this could be a problem for me since I’m only accustomed to American measurements. LOL!
After reading your remarks about the fermentation process breaking down the sugars and gluten, I’m anxious to attempt this. I’ve been gluten-free for several years now and, with the exception of our trip to Italy where I was able to consume their breads and pasta with no after-affects (yay!), I haven’t experimented with whole wheat flours.
Hi Pam,
While it is different from the normal cups and ounces we are accustomed to seeing, baking in weights allows for more precise measurements. It is typical for many sourdough recipes and usually used with professional bakers.
This recipe is actually much easier than it sounds! I’m putting together a video tutorial that will be up by the end of the week. Once you watch, you’ll realize how easy it really is!
Hi Carrie, i would love to make this bread, where can i find the video tutorial you mentioned in one of you comments?
Hi Carrie, I do not have a stand mixer. Do you think a hand mixer can be a substitute? Thank you.
Yes, you can hand knead the dough. 🙂
Thanks Carrie! I do hand knead the dough and the effort is actually not too much :). I have been fermenting the dough for 7 days in the fridge and the bread tastes so tasty with butter. Thanks again.
You’re welcome!
Would you have any recommendations for baking in a high altitude? I love making bread, but I haven’t been very successful since living here!
I don’t, but I’d look at info from Peter Reinhardt or in the Tartine bread cookbook. They probably have some ideas!
The recipe needs to be made as written to get the same results as I have. The levin is necessary for this recipe, and if you look at other fermented recipes such as those by Peter Reinhart or Tartine, you’ll see they use the same method. But, if you’d like to experiment, you’re more than welcome to!
One final reply… I wish I could post a picture. This bread is BEAUTIFUL! Just took it out of the oven. I took it out of the fridge and shaped it along the lines of a babka, rolling with some butter/cinnamon/sugar, and then let it rise for about 4 hours. It was VERY puffy, so I didn’t wait til 5-6 hours. Went in the oven and baked every bit of an hour, tented with foil for the last 20 minutes to prevent over browning. To sum up, I made the following alterations:
1) With an active, healthy sourdough starter, step 1 is not necessary. Skip it and use 125g ripe starter to create the levain in step 2. Let it rise per the instructions.
2) My starter is 100% whole wheat. I used whole wheat for the amount of flour called for in the levain as well, and used 200g spelt and 250g AP for the flour called for in the dough.
3) I used slightly less flour in sum because of the starter and levain being all Whole Wheat. Whole wheat flour soaks up more liquid than white flour so typically I have to alter the amount when using whole wheat. I measured the full amount, reserving the final 1/2cup, and then found I didn’t need it. Resist the urge to add too much flour!
Thanks for this recipe, Carrie! I’ve been looking for a good sourdough sweet bread and this is going to be my go-to recipe now!
I wish I had seen your comments earlier! I had the same thoughts about the levian…..
Going to try this asap! Can you share how you did the monkey bread? What the last rise time would be and what sweetener you used?
Would I be able to slice the loaf to make cinnamon rolls?
To make cinnamon rolls, you’d need to form the dough into rolls and add the cinnamon/sugar combo instead of forming it into a loaf.
Thank you!
Hi Carrie can you please explain what (the bubbly starter )in the soar dough recipe is?
Thank you ,I look forward to trying the recipe!
This is a starter that you feed each day. It’s the foundation for all sourdough recipes. If you click on the link in the recipe, you’ll be taken to a page with a starter that you can purchase. After feeding it daily with flour and water for a couple of weeks it gets nice and bubbly.
Hi Carrie, have you used gluten free all purpose flour for this? And is there a gluten free substitute for the spelt flour as well? Or, Maybe it’s just one of those things that doesn’t transfer over to the gluten free world of baking 🙂 Thanks!
I haven’t tested this recipe with substitutions, so I’m not sure. I do know that Cultures for Health has some great sourdough recipes that contain only gluten-free flours. Might be worth looking into!
I have the dough in my fridge as I type. I altered the sugar in the main dough for honey. I then added more flour to compensate. Have you used honey? I’m worried I am making the dough too dry. I really try to not have too much sugar for it triggers anxiety.
Also could a brioche loaf be used like sandwich bread? I’m not really familiar with brioche. I’m still relatively new to sd. Lots to Learn.
I’ve never tried substitutions for this recipe, so I don’t know what would work. As I mention in the article, the fermentation process breaks down the sugars, so I personally don’t think substituting with a different kind of sugar is necessary. I hope your loaf turned out ok!😀
Could this dough be fermented for just 25 hours at a warmer room temperature (like in a barely warm oven)? I didn’t prepare early enough to allow 48 hours for fermentation.
I’ve never tested this recipe in that way, so I can’t say for sure if that would work.
HI Carrie, Would you please convert the measurements to standard measurements? It would be so much easier for me to follow … I’m blind in one eye and the other eye struggles.
Thank you for considering this request!!
Would you adjust the time if you cooked it in a light colored metal pan since metal conducts heat differently than glass? I do not have a glass loaf pan.
I’m pretty new to sourdough! I’ve had some disasters with making sourdough until I came upon this recipe. I have made this bread 4 times an each time it’s come out great. Thank you so much for the recipes😀. It’s made me feel like I can do this. I honesty believe it’s because of. the levain that u do the night before you make bread. It makes such a difference. Thank you
You’re welcome!!
Love,Love,Love, this recipe have made it at least a dozen times each time it has come out delicious, I believe it’s do to the overnight levain . It makes such bubbly starter. It’s very forgiving have forgotten it several times an it has fermented longer no problem . Thank you so much keep up good work
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe! I do love how forgiving it is! I’ve also forgotten about it and left it in the fridge an extra day and it still turned out beautifully. 🙂
I made this recipe this week, but instead of just a cinnamon filling, I used brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and chopped cranberries. I took it to work for a Christmas treat for my coworkers and everyone loved it! I took 2 loaves and there was hardly a crumb left! Delicious!
This turned out better than I could have hoped! I have struggled with sourdough breads, and this gave me the confidence boost I have needed. I used Einkorn and my organic all purpose and it rose beautifully and is melt in your mouth soft! I will be baking this again and again.
I love it! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hello Carrie,
I cant wait to be back on my feet and try this recipe! I have a question before performing sets of stretch and fold until when to hand knead the dough, i dont own a mixer? when to use window pane test?
I’m not sure I understand your first question. You do not need to do a window pane test.
We love their recipe. Please post on how to make the monkey bread!
I’ve made this once but didn’t have enough flour and had to keep adding. Just to confirm, is it 210 g of butter? I just see 210. Thanks!!
Yes 210g!
Thank you for the instruction and helpful video! How can one adjust the recipe if using fresh grounded whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh ww flour, so I’m not sure what would lend the exact same texture and flavor.
Could this dough work as challah?