Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Before you start

This loaf spreads cinnamon through the whole dough and studs it with raisins, so every slice tastes the same from crust to crust. It is the toaster loaf: tight enough to slice thin, sturdy enough to hold butter, and lightly sweet.

The two things to manage are the raisins and the cinnamon. Dry raisins pull water from the dough and scorch on the crust, so soak them briefly and pat them dry. Cinnamon contains compounds that slow yeast, so keep the amount modest and expect the dough to rise a bit more slowly than a plain white loaf. Knead the raisins in at the end, gently, so they stay whole and do not tint the crumb gray.

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) raisins — dark, golden or a mix
• 420 g (3½ cups) bread flour
• 30 g (2½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 8 g (1⅓ tsp) fine salt
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 270 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• 1 tbsp melted butter — for brushing the hot crust (optional)

Method

1. Cover the raisins with hot tap water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain them well and pat them dry with a towel; surface water makes the dough slick.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add the warm milk and mix on low until a rough dough forms, then add the soft butter.
3. Knead on medium-low for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky.
4. Lower the speed and add the raisins, mixing for 1 to 2 minutes just until they are spread through. If some fall out, finish by folding them in by hand on the counter.
5. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled, 75 to 105 minutes at about 24°C (75°F).
6. Press the dough into a rectangle about 23 cm (9 in) on the short side. Roll it up tightly from that side, pinch the seam, and pick off any raisins sitting on the outside; exposed fruit burns. Place it seam side down in the greased pan.
7. Cover and proof until the top crowns about 2 cm (¾ in) above the rim, 50 to 70 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after 20 minutes because the sugar and milk brown the crust quickly. It is done at 88 to 90°C (190 to 195°F) inside.
9. Unmold onto a rack, brush the top with melted butter if you want a soft crust, and cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Tips for success

• Golden raisins look brighter in the crumb; dark raisins taste deeper. Dried currants are smaller and spread more evenly if you like fruit in every bite.
• Weigh the milk if you can (about 278 g). The dough should feel soft; a stiff dough plus raisins makes a tight, dry loaf.
• Slice with a serrated knife and a light sawing motion so the raisins are cut rather than dragged.

Substitutions

Raisins

Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots work at the same weight. Cranberries are tarter; apricots should be cut to raisin size so they do not tear the dough.

Bread flour

Replace up to 120 g with whole wheat flour and add 15 ml (1 tbsp) more milk. The loaf will be denser and nuttier.

Granulated sugar

Honey at the same weight gives a softer, moister crumb; the crust browns faster, so tent it earlier.

Variations

Cinnamon raisin walnut

Add 60 g toasted, chopped walnuts with the raisins.

Orange and golden raisin

Use golden raisins, cut the cinnamon to 1 tsp and add the grated zest of 1 orange with the milk.

Troubleshooting

The dough barely rose

Cinnamon and a cool kitchen together slow fermentation. Give it more time in a warm spot, around 26°C (78°F), and judge by size, not the clock.

Raisins burned on the crust

Fruit was left on the surface. Tuck or remove exposed raisins during shaping and tent the loaf partway through baking.

Purple-gray streaks in the crumb

The raisins were crushed by long mixing. Add them at the very end on low speed or fold them in by hand.

Storage

Keep the loaf wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days; it toasts well as it firms. Freeze sliced bread for up to 3 months and toast from frozen.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains uncooked flour, which should not be tasted before baking. Contains wheat and milk.