Dutch Oven Cinnamon Breakfast Bread
- hannahelisewhite
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 24

This recipe was inspired by a breakfast bread that my parents buy from their local grocery store. It’s hearty, full of dried fruits and nuts, and makes the perfect bite to eat when you want a little something to go with your coffee. I love the way this recipe fills your home with the smell of cinnamon and homemade bread. Spread a warm slice with some butter, maybe add a pinch of flaky sea salt, and you will be in heaven.

If you are a beginner to bread making, you will love this recipe. It’s super approachable. I am also new to bread making, and trust me, if I can do it, you can too! One of my tips for success is using instant yeast that comes in a glass jar, not the packets, and storing it in your refrigerator. A few years ago, during the COVID pandemic, I hyper-focused on trying to make pizza from scratch. I kept trying to use the instant yeast in the packets, and after letting it rise overnight, I would always get disappointed that my dough stayed a little sad mound. I’ve been avoiding yeast recipes until now because of this. I’m not sure what the difference is, but if someone smarter than me wants to leave a comment, let me know! I am also including a picture of the exact yeast I used below in case you’re interested.
Another tip I have gleaned after watching many episodes of Great British Bake Off is to keep your salt and yeast away from each other for as long as possible, because the salt can deactivate the yeast. I just add them to separate parts of the bowl when I’m combining my dry ingredients.
In my recipe tests, I tried ones with kneading and ones without. The ones without kneading turned out fine. So if you want to skip the kneading step, you can! You can add your risen dough from the bowl straight to some parchment paper, shape it into a mound, and cover it with the towel to let it rerise while the Dutch oven is preheating. I simply thought that my bread had a better rise when I kneaded it. I also think it’s fun!
You can lessen the amount of dried fruits and nuts if you’d like. You can also use any dried fruits or nuts/seeds that you like; dried apples, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, it’s all good!
What makes this recipe enchanting:
It's great for beginners at bread making!
It's flexible. You can use whatever dried fruits and nuts you like!
It's great by itself or paired with a big breakfast.
More breakfast recipes:

Video with step-by-step instructions:
Dutch Oven Cinnamon Breakfast Bread:
3 ¾ cups (498 grams) bread flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon instant yeast
⅓ cup (53 grams) dried cranberries or dried cherries
⅓ cup (65 grams) golden raisins or regular raisins
⅓ cup (45 grams) chopped dried apricots
½ cup (65 grams) chopped walnuts
1 ¾ cups (425 ml) lukewarm water (I just use some from my sink, and I aim for something between room temperature and warm)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or white sugar or honey
Directions:
To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add the instant yeast, but add it away from the salt. Add the dried cranberries, raisins, and walnuts, and stir to combine.
Add the sugar to the water and stir to dissolve. Add the sweet water and, using either the dough hook of a standing mixer or a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature overnight, about 8-12 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, add your Dutch oven to a cold oven, and then preheat it to 450 degrees F. Preheat the Dutch oven for 45 minutes.
Flour a work surface (I use a large cutting board), and drop the dough onto it. Flour your hands and sprinkle the dough with flour. Fold the dough in half onto itself. Turn the dough and fold it in half onto itself again. You may need to sprinkle the dough with flour if it’s too sticky. Do this a few times until it is a cohesive ball of dough. Tuck the edges underneath to form a smooth ball of dough. Place onto parchment paper, cover with a clean towel, and rest until the oven is ready.
Using the parchment paper, very carefully lift the bread and place it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the Dutch oven lid and bake for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes is up, remove from the oven, remove the lid, and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then slice and enjoy!
To store, I recommend slicing and then freezing the bread. You can microwave or toast to enjoy!
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