Raisin bread is a soft, slightly sweet bread studded with raisins (dried grapes), enjoyed in many cultures as a breakfast or snack. It’s especially popular in Europe and North America, often flavored with cinnamon and sometimes enriched with butter, milk, and eggs for a tender crumb; raisin bread could also be used to make bread pudding, French toast, toast with butter, honey, or cream cheese. Some varieties of raisin bread include-Cinnamon raisin bread, hot cross buns and challah.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (about 38–40°C)
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
Add-ins:
- 1 cup (150 g) raisins
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional but traditional)
Optional glaze:
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
Procedure
To make this simple yet delicious raisin bread, follow the steps below.
1. Activate the yeast
- In a bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar.
- Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
2. Make the dough
- Add remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, and salt.
- Then gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead
- Knead for 8–10 minutes by using bare hands or a mixer until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- If it becomes sticky, add a little flour, 1 tbsp at a time.
4. Add raisins
- Soak raisins in warm water for at least 10 minutes before adding as it keeps them soft.
- Gently knead in the raisins and cinnamon until evenly distributed.
5. First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled.
6. Shape
- Punch down the dough.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan, cover and allow to rise again for about 30–45 minutes, until puffy.
8. Bake
- Place in the oven and bake at 180°C for about 30–35 minutes until golden brown.
9. Finish
- Brush with some milk and sugar glaze (I strongly recommend).
- Allow it cool before slicing.
- You can have it with some coffee, black tea – especially with milk, cinnamon or spiced tea (enhances flavor notes) or even orange juice.
Enjoy!
