Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Is there anything better than homemade bread? I mean seriously. I’ve asked this question before. The answer is always no, there is nothing better than homemade bread. The smell and taste of this buttermilk, cinnamon-raisin bread has confirmed this assertion once again.
I mixed together this batch of dough before bed one night about five minutes after reading an email from a friend raving about the recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The following morning I baked off two loaves of bread. One, I sliced and froze. The other, I sliced and ate and ate and ate and ate. And then I tucked the remaining heel in a ziplock back and stowed it in my cabinet. And then several hours later, I opened the cabinet and the bag and ate the heel for dinner. It was a quite a day.
Anyway, thank you, Darcy, for inspiring me to venture into the “enriched breads and pastries” chapter of Artisan Bread In Five. Readers, if you still haven’t taken a stab at bread making, pick up this book. Bread making has never been so easy and fun. And while you’re at it, order an 8-quart Cambro and lid (odd that the two aren’t sold together) for easy mixing and storing. And, if you happen to be ordering flours and other baking staples for the upcoming holidays, order a bulk bag of yeast. I store mine in a cylindrical, plastic tupperware-type vessel in the fridge.
Also, I must confess, I didn’t have raisins on hand when I set out to make this bread and so should have titled this post “Cinnamon Bread,” but that just sounds wrong. All I’m saying is that with or without raisins, this recipe is a winner.
Also, I am very excited to report that I won an autographed copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day simply by leaving a comment on the blog Baking and Books. You, too, have a chance to win a cookbook every month. Stop by Baking and Books for more details.
Cinnamon-Raisin Buttermilk Bread
- Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 1½-lb. loaves (these are smallish loaves) or Two loaves (which I prefer)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) lukewarm water
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) yeast
- 1½ tablespoons (14 g) kosher salt
- 1½ tablespoons (16 g) sugar
- 6½ cups (832 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour
- butter for greasing the pan
- 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon (I tripled the amount of cinnamon the second time around, so make your cinnamon-sugar mix according to taste.)
- 1/3 cup (66 g) sugar
- ¾ cup raisins (if you are using them)
- egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt and sugar with the water and buttermilk in a 5-quart mixing bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
- Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment) or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook. If you’re not using a machine, you may have to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
- Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens on top, approximately 2 hours.
- The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.
- On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Set aside. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1½-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. (Note: the original recipe yields 3 loaves. I prefer dividing the total amount of dough in half and making two larger loaves as opposed to three smallish loaves.) Dust with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
- With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to an 18×16-inch rectangle (or about an 11×18-inch rectangle — just wider than the loaf pan) about ¼-inch thick, dusting the board and rolling pin with flour as needed. You may need to use a metal dough scraper to loosen rolled dough from the board as you are working with it.
- Using a pastry brush, cover the surface of the dough lightly with egg wash. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Distribute the raisins, if using.
- Starting from the short side, roll it up jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges and ends together, tucking the ends under. Place the loaf seam-side down in the prepared pan. Allow to rest 1 hour and 40 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.)
- Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
73 Comments on “Cinnamon-Raisin Bread”
Your bread looks amazing – I agree with you, nothing is better than homemade bread!
Lovely homemade bread!!
Terrific! That bread looks wonderful and sounds very promissing! Great pictures too!
Cheers,
Rosa
Yeah, I agree. Good bread has a way of roping you in and forcing you to eat it. I’ve had my share of scarfing-down-bread parties. My favorite way to eat it is toasted, dripping (in places) with butter, with a cup of hot coffee alongside.
-JJ
Ps. I wish I could see your pics, but my connection is too dang slow. Grrr. I hate missing out.
Oh, yummm. Must have some.
I always love cinnamon-raisin bread. This one looks better than anything I have eaten.
ummm, i’d totally eat the whole loaf in one day too 🙂 fantastic!
Looks good!!
I love it when breadmaking is made simpler and with less effort. I can only imagine the wonderful cinnamony smells coming from your kitchen.
Just recently I was looking for a good cinnamon-raisin yeast bread. Never did find one that I was satisfied w/ trying. I have this WONDERFUL bread book so I’ll be checking this one out. Thanks for sharing. Pics are beautiful as usual!
That bread looks delicious and your photos are wonderful! I would probably eat a loaf in a day too.
I didn’t inherit my mom’s talent for bread baking so usually back off when I see yeast dough recipes. But this one looks so good I’m tempted to give it a try. Warm with butter, yum!
Homemade bread is the best. My dad is a pro, so when I am home for Christmas we will be baking up a storm. I want to try this one!
Oh, oh , oh…yum, I mean seriously how beautiful is this! Love it.
This is exactly the reason I don’t make home made bread – it looks fabulous and it’s the “can’t just have one slice” type of bread.
Oh baby, to be at your place in the morning when these are baking.
Wait – so you don’t even knead it? That is amazing!
I have this book, too and LOVE it! I haven’t gotten to the enriched breads chapter yet, but I will 🙂
I would have eaten the whole thing too! I love homemade bread, you can’t beat it, put some cinnamon and raisins in it and I’d eat your’s and mine!! LOL!!!
You lucky duck! Good win! I love homemade bread but I usually suck at it, so instead my favorite are the ones from small/artisan shops that appear homemade but are actually very well done 🙂
I love the Cinnamon-(Swirl) Bread! I’m a raisin fan, so I can just imagine how good it is!
…drooling over your gorgeous bread! It looks absolutely delicious.
Lovely cinnamon raisin bread, and I am going to get this book. I grew up in a home where bread was made in lieu of buying. Right now I barely have 5 minutes so quick is what I need. Always mouthwatering when I see what you have been up to in the kitchen.
I love the book and I really love your pictures. Love looking at them each time you post a new entry!
Oh man, your photos of the bread are amazing! I bet it was delicious.
Wow, this looks so delicious & rustic which is different for a cinnamon raisin bread. Nothing's better than homemade bread!
I have asked for this book for Christmas and cannot wait to start baking with it. If no one gets it for me, I'm getting it for myself!
To answer your question on J&J, they sell at a lot of markets up here in LA. I'm surprised they haven't made their way down to North County San Diego yet. If you're ever going to be in LA on a Saturday, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction!
You just reminded me that I wanted to get that Artesan bread book for my hubby. Looks delish!!!
Absolutely gorgeous! Makes me want a slice right now. Great pics!
Came to you via finest foodie Friday…very nice blog. I’ll be back.
Your bread is absolutely beautiful. The only thing better than the aroma of baking bread is that of baking cinnamon bread.