King Arthur Cinnamon Raisin Bread

% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Moist, aromatic, delicious cinnamon-swirl bread it doesn’t HAVE to be a white loaf, you know! Cinnamon-swirl bread made with whole wheat flour makes the best toast on earth the nuttiness of the wheat and the earthy, assertive flavor of cinnamon play very nicely together.

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice*
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup King Arthur Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup dried potato flakes

*Use 2 tablespoons less orange juice in summer , 2 tablespoons more in winter .

Filling

• 1 large egg, beaten to brush on dough
• 1/3 cup sugar

Instructions

Tips from our Bakers

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

A buoyant loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread seems like a festive bread for the Easter season. It has the flavors of hot cross buns raisins and cinnamon with 30% stone-ground whole wheat for flavor and fiber. The dough comes together quickly then minds its own business rising for a few hours. Ive been eating it toasted for breakfast every day. But it would be fun as the base for a ham or turkey sandwich or layered with pickled carrots and mashed avocado.

There are a few pointers for making this dough. When adding dried fruits to bread dough it is important to condition the fruit. Conditioning is done by soaking the fruit in boiling water. The short soak plumps the raisins so that they stay soft in the dough. Conditioning also keeps your bread dough from drying out. Dried fruit sucks out moisture in the dough leaving gaps and hard spots throughout the bread.

Mix this dough using a stand mixer and give it a good workout because the whole wheat flour develops its elasticity with a thorough kneading. Youll get a springy dough with great promise.

You can see the plump raisins in this bucket of dough after 3 hours rising.

I prefer to work without added flour so I work on a silicone baking mat. If you prefer, dust your work table with a mist of flour and lightly flour your hands before working with the dough.

The soft dough shouldnt be too sticky and is easy to pat out into a large rectangle.

Then you can sprinkle the dough with a generous layer of cinnamon sugar.

Faq About Bread Machine Cinnamon

When and how should I add the raisins?

Chop the raisins coarsely or use currants . Add them when your machine beeps that its time for add-ins.If you add raisins in the beginning, the machine will pulverize them. Not only will it change the color of the bread, but you also wont experience the sweet flavor bursts from the raisins.Some people sprinkle them on top of the cinnamon-sugar filling. I dont care for that method because the raisins tend to fall out as you slice and eat the bread.

How can I know when this loaf is ready to pull out of the oven?

Use a quick-read thermometer . The internal temperature should reach 190F. If the crust gets too dark, lay a piece of foil over the top. Next time move the shelf down a notch.

Why did my cinnamon-raisin bread turn out dense?

Read more about the causes of dense bread here.

How long will raisin bread stay fresh?

Homemade bread with no preservatives cant compete with store-bought bread when it comes to shelf-life. Eat what you can the first couple of days and put the rest in the freezer. Keep the loaf in a plastic bag, but dont store it in the fridge. If you make a lot of bread, I recommend these plastic bread bags because of their long shape.

Final thoughts: Are you a fan of a pinch of cloves in your cinnamon bread? If you are, be sure to try my favorite cinnamon rolls and these Tangzhong Cinamon Rolls.

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More Answers To Baking Questions

If youre the kind of person who likes to understand why things happen and why methods work rather than just knowing the steps for doing things, you may enjoy the answers to these baking questions:

• What Do Eggs Do In Baking?
• What Is The Creaming Method and Why We Use It

Perfect! Made this bread last night, following your recipe to a T, and it could not have turned out any better. The dough was a joy to work with and the taste is so yummy. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I love it and now have a favorite, go to recipe source.

Reader Patti

Now, without further ado, I give you the actual Cinnamon Bread recipe. Im writing it up just as I made it, but I will make notes as to what Id change the next time.

I really hope you find this discussion of why cinnamon bread separates to be helfpul and that you enjoy the recipe! If you make it, please share a photo with me, either in the or on instagram by tagging @onlinepastrychef and using hashtag #pcorecipe. Thanks, and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving

The stated nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It is calculated through third party software and is intended as a guideline only.

Cuisine:Category:

And I think that does it. Thanks so much for taking the time to read, and heres to gapless loaves of cinnamon swirl bread for all of us from now on.

Take care, and have a lovely day.

Go Fancy With The Raisins

This recipe works great with the standard, smaller raisins that you find at any grocery store. However, feel free to go fancy with the raisins if youd like! You can try a medley, use jumbo golden or flame raisins, or whatever variety you prefer. Trader Joes has some great choices.

Let this soft, sticky dough double in size, covered, which should take an hour or two !

Once the dough has risen, it should look stretchy and strand-like, like this:

Remove the dough and stretch it out into a rectangle on a lightly floured board, trying to add as little flour as possible:

Make the cinnamon filling by mixing together melted butter, brown sugar, and tons of good cinnamon:

Spread the cinnamon filling all over the rectangle, then tightly roll it up:

Pinch the seam shut at the end, then place the dough roll in a standard butter-greased 9×5 loaf pan:

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour, until it rises above the top of the pan:

Into the oven it goes until it comes out golden brown on the top:

After baking, let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it. If you slice into it too early, the bread will not cut as cleanly, and it may be gummier than it should be on the inside. The cooling stage is an essential part of the process.

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Why Does Cinnamon Bread Separate

Before we get into all the ins and outs, we need to understand why this gapping/separating/delamination happens.

There are two main reasons that swirl in cinnamon bread tends to gap open.

• The first is that the steam from the dough and filling coupled with the gases emitted by the yeast pushes out and up, smooshing your layers and leaving a noticeable gap often under the top layer of your swirled bread.
• The other issue is that there is no sticking power in the swirl. Most folks slather on butter and then their sugar and cinnamon and the fat makes everything slippery so the layers cant bind. Fixing the binding problem also fixes the gas issue and youll also end up with a lighter bread that has great oven spring and rise.

It sounds so simple, right? Honestly, when it has happened to me in the past, I chalked it up to overproofing, figuring it rose too high and then collapsed.

And that could be one of the issues. Obviously, it wasnt something that I felt the need to look into, but once I started snooping around for Phyllis, I really wanted to smack myself in the head and exclaim, Why didnt I think of that?!

Easy Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This fluffy gluten free cinnamon raisin bread is easy to make. Cinnamon and sugar are swirled into the bread and the flavors bake through beautifully! There is nothing like the flavor of fresh bread!I also include a dairy-free version for those who need gluten free and dairy-free cinnamon raisin bread.

Are you ready to try my swirled cinnamon raisin bread recipe? Your house is going to smell amazing as this no-knead raisin bread bakes! It is a winner anytime! If you have ever tasted Greenless Cinnamon Bread , my recipe has a similar soft texture that will have you swooning!!

This recipe makes one loaf of oven-baked, fluffy gluten free cinnamon raisin bread. I will break down this recipe in lots of easy steps so you can get the best results! All you need are a few simple ingredients and patience for rising.

If you are looking for the best cinnamon raisin gluten free bread, I am so glad you found this recipe to make! I also have several incredible gluten free bread recipes to try.

NOTE: I include a TON of tips and tricks so your gluten free cinnamon raisin bread turns out great. Please read through the whole post.

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King Arthur Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Raisin BreadIntroductionA tried-and-true favorite, this moist, fruity loaf is delicious, especially when toasted and served with hot chocolate. Use it to make French toast and cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, too.Ingredients1/4 cup butter1 heaping cup dark and/or golden raisins 1 cup thick oat flakes 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided2 teaspoons salt1 tablespoon active dry yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast1/2 cup lukewarm water, 110°F5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose FlourInstructionsCombine and heat the milk and butter until just hot to the touch . Transfer to a large bowl and add the raisins or other fruit, oat flakes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt and cinnamon stir well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and active dry yeast in the water and let sit until bubbles appear. When the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in the unbleached flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Knock down the dough, knead briefly on a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

How To Shape Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Gently pat and stretch the dough to remove some of the air bubbles. Roll into a 6 x 20-inch rectangle. These specific dimensions are important: the longer you roll the dough, the more swirls youll get! The 6-inch width will ensure the dough fits snuggly into the pan. I use a measuring tape for accuracy and smooth down the sides of the dough to keep the width within range .

Lightly score the dough around the tops and sides to create a border. Brush the surface with egg wash or plain water for the filling to stick. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar in the center.

To finish, roll the dough into a log and place into a buttered 8.5×4- inch loaf pan.

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Ensure A Gorgeous Spiral

Slicing into a homemade loaf of cinnamon swirl bread is like removing the wrapping from a present youve been waiting to open. The smell of cinnamon sugar is in the air, and you’re waiting ever so patiently to reveal the beautiful swirl inside. You hold your breath and slice through the loaf only to discover a disappointing gap around the swirl. Sigh.

The bread will still taste delicious, no doubt about it. But when youve put in the time and effort, your loaf should look just as good as it tastes.

Luckily, there are a few simple tricks you can use to avoid ending up with a dreaded gap in your cinnamon swirl bread.

These techniques will help drastically reduce the size of any gaps or eliminate them altogether, ensuring you won’t lose any of the precious cinnamon filling .

The Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe

My favorite sweet and swirled recipe is hands down our Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Not only does it have a cinnamon-sugar filling thats studded with dried fruit, theres also a buttery streusel topping crowning each slice. I didn’t think cinnamon-swirl bread could get any better, yet this loaf rises to another level. If you’re not a streusel person , our Cinnamon Bread recipe is a solid choice.

Lets reveal the secrets of this recipe that ensure perfectly swirled slices.

Tip #1: Add a stabilizer to your filling

Tip #2: Blitz the fruit

Not so fast.

Tip #3: Brush with an egg wash

And the result? You’ll end up with a stunning cinnamon swirl.

Cinnamon’s Effect On Fermentation

At high percentage, cinnamon can interfere with fermentation, likely due to its antimicrobial properties1. There are a few techniques I used in this recipe to help offset this:

• I increased the pre-fermented flour percentage
• Cinnamon was kept relatively low at 1%
• I increased bulk fermentation to a full 4 hours it might have previously ended around 3.5 hours)
• I lengthened the final proof time to 16 hours in the fridge

Fermentation was slightly sluggish at the start, but as you can see in the pictures in this post, there was plenty of activity toward the end of bulk fermentation. The key is to adjust my timeline below to fit your dough’s progress. As I always like to say: give the dough the time it needs.

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Substitutions For This Recipe

Like most bread recipes, this one can be made to suit your taste and preferences. Here are a few ways you can experiment with our cinnamon raisin sourdough to make it your own:

• FLOUR this recipe uses a 60% white and 40% whole grain flour mixture. However, you can use all white or a blend of white and whole wheat flour. Rye flour can add a nice depth of flavour, but we recommend using only about 10% rye due to its lower gluten content.
• DRIED FRUIT AND SPICES while this recipe puts cinnamon and raisins on a pedestal, there are countless other dry fruits and spices you can use. Dried figs, cherries, cranberries, or dates are excellent choices. Try adding nutmeg or a dash of cloves for added warmth.
• CHOPPED NUTS nuts and seeds are great additions to bread. They add protein, fiber and flavour. Use unsalted nuts and note that walnuts may turn your bread crumb a slight hue of pink!

One Day Before Baking

Autolyse : Whisk the levain into the water in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the flour to this mixture and use your hands to mix into a rough, shaggy dough.

While the dough is resting, soak your raisins .

Mix: After the autolyse, add the salt and mix until its combined with the dough. Drain the raisins and add them to the dough with the cinnamon.

Fold : Stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes over the next 3 hours, for a total of 6 stretches and folds. This creates structure in the bread and is one of the most important elements of the process.

Shaping : Take your dough out of the bowl and place it onto a floured surface to rest for 20 minutes. Shape the loaf and place in a floured bowl or banneton . Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate overnight.

Recommended Reading: Best Way To Store Bread For Freshness

Gluten Free Raisin Bread Baking Tips:

• Rise your dough in an oven that was heated to 200º F.
• Losely mix in the raisins to the dry ingredients so they distribute evenly before mixing them with the standing mixer.
• Do not punch down the gluten free bread dough!!! Gluten free dough is not the same as regular gluten dough. Your first rise will be the best rise you get. Once you deflate the dough, you will not get much additional rise.

If you love fluffy bread, give my Gluten Free Brioche recipe a try too!

Special Equipment & Preparation

Food Dehydrator

I recently received a new Brød & Taylor Sahara Food Dehydrator , a superbly designed dehydrator that eliminates the reason why I’ve not bought one previously: this one folds up into a compact little package for storage. Upon receiving it ideas for its use in a baking recipe swirled around in my head, everything from dehydrating my own spent beer grains to making diastatic malt to dehydrating veggies and fruits of all kinds. I settled on making a recipe I’ve meant to tackle for a while now: a cinnamon raisin sourdough bread.

To make the raisins buy a couple of pounds of the smallest red grapes you can find at the market. Pick grapes that are not mushy in any way, you want them firm, ripe, and full of flavor.

Wash the grapes and let them dry. Then spread them out evenly on the dehydrator trays. Set the unit to 24 hours at 135°F and hit Start. After this time check on them, they’ll likely need another 12 hours to dehydrate fully mine took about 36 hours in total. This process does take quite a while so plan accordingly for your bake .

I realize after eating these raisins I’ve never had anything like them in my life. They pack so much flavor, eating each one makes you pause to really enjoy everything the original grape had to offer nothing is lost.

Buying and Preparing Raisins

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