Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe

A hot loaf of this delicious homemade cinnamon raisin bread is the perfect weekend wake-up call for your family. It’s even better shared over hot coffee with a decadent pat of butter on each slice.

You will be surprised to find out how simple and therapeutic it is to make a homemade loaf of bread. Set aside the time just once and you will come back to this recipe time and time again. This is what home tastes like.

Baking homemade bread is therapy for me and there’s nothing like the smell of baking bread. I can also feel good about feeding my family homemade baked bread. besides being amazingly delicious, it doesn’t contain the preservatives that keep store-bought on the shelf for 3 weeks.

There’s something nostalgic about the combination of oatmeal and raisins. My Dad’s favorite cookie was Oatmeal Raisin, and I can’t resist a soft tender Oatmeal Raisin Muffin. Another reason I love this homemade cinnamon and raisin bread is because it’s amazing toasted, on a charcuterie board with cheeses, or as French toast muffins!

Ingredients For Your Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.

We use Whole Milk. It adds richness to the recipe and the additional fat makes baked goods soft and tender. Milk provides the liquid that we need in this recipe and it works with our yeast that helps our bread rise and become light and tender. You can use any variety of milk for this recipe but your results could vary.

Active dry yeast is versatile and can be used for breads, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and more. Instant yeast is ideal for bread machine breads or quick rolls. I explain the differences in my baking techniques post.

Spice It Up Options! We chose cinnamon and nutmeg in this recipe. Ginger, cardamom, or cloves are great options. Remember less is more when it comes to spices. Too many and you’ll lose the cinnamon profile that melds perfectly with our oatmeal raisin bread recipe.

All-purpose flour was used in our bread. You can use bleached or unbleached flour. One doesn’t act or taste any differently from the other. Unbleached flour is less processed since it doesn’t go through the bleaching step.

You can use any Salt. Our preferences are Kosher salt or Fine sea salt which we feel dissolves better with a less likely chance of salt pockets in our baked goods.

Using fresh grade A large Eggs creates structure and stability within the dough and adds moisture to baked goods.

We use real butter but you can substitute it with a butter substitute. That may affect the flavor, however. You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. Creaming room-temperature butter works better than cold butter. If you use salted butter, you’ll want to reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.

How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Put the raisins in a bowl or measuring cup. Cover them with hot water for 15 minutes and then drain off the water.

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm milk, yeast, and white sugar. Let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes so the warmth of the milk can activate the yeast.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, raisins, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Mix until all combined and the raisins are coated with the flour mixture.

Putting the raisins in with the flour helps suspend them in the bread so they don’t all end up on the bottom of the loaf.

Add the honey, salt, egg, and butter to the yeast mixture. At slow, speed mix quickly, 30 seconds. 

Add the flour mixture and mix at slow speed until all the ingredients are incorporated, no more dry flour is loose in the bowl. 

Increase your mixer speed to medium and mix for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough will be wet but as you mix the gluten develops, and it will become less sticky.

If you don’t have a stand-up mixer, you can knead the dough on a lightly floured surface or pastry mat for 8 to 10 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl to prevent the dough from sticking. Transfer the ball of dough to the oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out or developing a hard crust as it rises.

Let it rise for 90 minutes in a warm, draft-free place. Cool air can halt or hinder rising.

Grease a loaf pan (9.25 x 5.25 inches) with shortening or butter. Set that aside.

Punch the dough down and then transfer it to a lightly floured surface or pastry mat.

Flatten out the dough into a rectangle measuring about 8 x 10 inches, and roll it into a log. Then place it into the prepared pan.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 15 minutes. Then score the top of the bread with a sharp knife or bread lame and cover it. Let it rise for an additional 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F so it’s good and hot when you’re ready to bake.

Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 195°F (If you use 1 cup of water instead of 1 cup of milk your internal temperature will be 190°F).

Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack. Slicing the bread too soon will cause it to cave in as you slice.

Variations

• For a nutty twist add a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for extra crunch and flavor.
• Mix in dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or even a sprinkle of shredded coconut for a fruity twist.
• For a healthy boost, fold in a tablespoon of chia seeds or flaxseed meal for added nutrition.
• Add a little orange or lemon zest to brighten up the flavors.
• Swap out some or all of the raisins for chocolate chips—because chocolate makes everything better right?
• You can also drizzle for the top with a sweet glaze.

FAQs

Do you have to soak the raisins before baking bread?

It isn’t required. However, I prefer to soak or rinse the raisins in warm water before using them for baking. They are dried and soaking them plumps them up and revives their flavor.

What kind of raisins should I get?

We chose your basic black raisins from red grapes. However, you can get golden raisins or currants. Use what you enjoy and have available.

How To Reheat & Store Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Best Way To Store

Because the bread is made with milk, I would suggest keeping it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days

Can I Freeze?

Yes, I wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then foil or a resealable freezer bag for 2 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Tips to Make the Perfect Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Warm milk helps activate the yeast. If it is too cold, the yeast will not activate properly, and if it is too hot, the heat can kill the yeast. I have sometimes compared the right temperature to bath water if that helps.

Mixing the raisins in with the flour helps keep them suspended throughout the dough instead of just sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.

Try not to incorporate too much flour into the dough if you’re kneading it by hand, because too much flour will make the bread dry and dense.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

We love baking here at Hostess and as much as we love this homemade raisin bread, our craisin walnut bread and our Irish soda bread with raisins are loaves that we make all year long. What is your favorite kind of bread?

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