Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread is filled and rolled up with cinnamon, sugar, and raisins and topped with melted butter and more cinnamon and sugar. Try my Cinnamon and Raisin Bread for a more bagel-like bread, or my Cinnamon Raisin Bagels.
Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Bread is so popular, it even has its own date to celebrate each year. But, don’t wait until September 16th to make this homemade cinnamon raisin bread. It is a soft loaf of bread that has just the right sweetness with cinnamon and sugar and plenty of raisins in every bite!
Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread Ingredients
Active Dry Yeast: The warm water will activate the dry yeast. Make sure your yeast has not expired before use; this will affect the rise of the bread.
Warm Water: To activate the yeast, the temperature of the water should be between 105-115°F. If the water is too warm (over 120°F), it will kill the yeast.
Egg: Make sure the egg is at room temperature for best results.
Raisins: The nice thing about making your own homemade cinnamon raisin bread (besides the wonderful smell that will fill your house while it’s baking) is that you can add as many raisins as you prefer! I used a cup in this recipe.
Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread Dough
The first thing you need to do for this recipe is to make the dough. It will need time to rise a couple of times, so no need to preheat the oven right away. To make the dough, first, mix half of the flour with the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Second, add warm water, oil, and egg. Mix the ingredients until smooth.
Add the remaining dough, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes together. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, making sure to not knead the dough too much. Do not add too much extra flour; too much can lead to dry bread.
Place the dough into a large, greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour. If the bread is not rising, check the expiration date on your yeast to make sure it had not expired. Another reason could be that the water was too warm (over 120°F) and it killed the yeast or there was too much flour added to the dough.
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread
After the first rise, spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. Punch down the risen dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. (I rolled it out to an 18×10-inch rectangle.) Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top of the dough, spreading it all the way to the edges.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle most of it over the top of the butter, reserving some to sprinkle over the top of the loaf. Next, scatter the raisins on top of the cinnamon-sugar. Starting on the short edge, roll up the rectangle. Pinch it together (like a seam) to seal the dough and fold each open end under to seal the ends.
Place the loaf into the prepared pan, seam side down. Brush another tablespoon of butter over the top, followed by the rest of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover the loaf and let it rise again in a warm, dry spot.
When ready, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the homemade cinnamon raisin bread for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. You can check for doneness by tapping the bread and listening for a hollow sound. Or, to be more exact, use an internal thermometer to check; it should read 190°F. (Insert the thermometer just above the loaf pan to keep from leaving a hole on top.)
Once the bread is done baking, remove it from the oven and brush the remaining melted butter over the top. Let it cool in the pan for a while before transferring it to a wire rack or cutting board to slice. This bread is delicious with just some butter, or toasted.
How to Store Bread
Most bread will only last a day or two at room temperature. However, to get the most out of a loaf of bread, freeze it. After the bread has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Then, store the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe, zipped bag. Labe and date the bag; it will last for a few months this way.
Looking for More Homemade Bread Recipes?
Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water, about 110°F (but no more than 120°F)
- ⅛ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mix 1½ cups of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and yeast.
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Add warm water, oil, and egg, and mix until smooth.
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Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough comes together.
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Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy.
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Place dough into a large greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
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Prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
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When ready, punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle.
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Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top of the dough and spread it out to coat the entire surface.
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In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the butter, reserving a little for the topping. Sprinkle the raisins evenly over the cinnamon-sugar.
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Starting on the short side, roll up the rectangle. Pinch the edge of the dough to seal it. Fold the open ends under to seal.
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Place loaf, seam side down into the prepared loaf pan.
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Brush another tablespoon of melted butter over the bread. Sprinkle with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture.
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Cover. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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When ready, bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
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Remove from the oven and brush with remaining melted butter. Let bread cool a bit before serving.
Nutrition
This recipe was adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread.