World's Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread
This is the best Cinnamon Raisin Bread I have ever had! It has a great consistency and smells wonderful while baking. I made this for the first time about a year ago and since it makes 3 loaves, I gave one to my neighbor. Now she asks for it constantly and since it is so fun to make, I oblige her, plus I get to keep the other 2 loaves!
This is the best Cinnamon Raisin Bread I have ever had! It has a great consistency and smells wonderful while baking. I made this for the first time about a year ago and since it makes 3 loaves, I gave one to my neighbor. Now she asks for it constantly and since it is so fun to make, I oblige her, plus I get to keep the other 2 loaves!
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup warm water (must be between 110-115 degrees)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1 cup raisins
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter melted (approx.)
- Carbohydrate 377.990794315094 g
- Cholesterol 119.648750087688 mg
- Fat 47.486751981525 g
- Fiber 16.1626889766332 g
- Protein 45.399165880971 g
- Saturated Fat 28.0058337989321 g
- Serving Size 1 1 loaves, 36 serving(s) (768g)
- Sodium 4481.77678324601 mg
- Sugar 361.828105338461 g
- Trans Fat 4.58522761513951 g
- Calories 2104 calories
Step-by-step
- Warm the milk in a small sauce pan on the stove until it just starts to bubble, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat.
- Let cool until lukewarm, about 120-125 degrees.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside until yeast is frothy, about 10 minutes or so (make sure your water is at the correct temperature or the yeast won't activate.)
- Then mix in eggs, sugar, butter salt and raisins (stir in the cooled milk slowly so you don't cook the eggs.)
- Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth.
- Place in a large, buttered, mixing bowl and turn to grease the surface of the dough.
- Cover with a warm, damp cloth and let rise (I like to let my bread rise in the oven with the light on.
- It has just the right amount of heat and keeps the bread out of drafts.)
- Allow to rise until doubled, usually about 1 1/2 hours.
- Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick.
- Moisten the dough with 2 tablespoons milk and rub all over the dough with your hands.
- Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the moistened dough.
- Roll up tightly (the long way).
- The roll should be about 3 inches in diameter.
- Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends and pinch bottom together.
- Place loaves into well greased (you can use Crisco or butter for this) 9 x 5 inch pans and lightly grease tops of loaves.
- Let rise in warm place, uncovered, again for about an hour.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven and let cool on rack.
- Take melted butter and spread over tops of loaves.
- After about 20 minutes, lay loaves on their sides and remove from pans.
- Allow to cool before slicing.
Active dry yeast requires precise thermal management to achieve reliable fermentation without killing the microscopic fungi responsible for the rise. Water measuring between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit provides the ideal activation threshold, waking the organisms gently before they encounter heavy fats and sugars that naturally slow down cellular activity. Thermometers eliminate guesswork during this initial hydration phase.
Enriched doughs containing butter, eggs, and milk demand thorough kneading to develop a resilient gluten network capable of trapping expanding gases. Working eight cups of all-purpose flour into a stiff dough requires sustained physical friction on a lightly floured surface until the mass feels smooth and elastic under your palms. This structural integrity prevents the dense fruit and heavy spice layers from tearing the crumb during the second fermentation.
Rolling the dough into a half-inch thick rectangle before distributing the sugar and cinnamon mixture ensures distinct, concentric swirls rather than random pockets of filling. Moistening the sheet with two tablespoons of milk helps the dry spices adhere properly before rolling the cylinders tightly to a three-inch diameter. Pinching the bottom seams securely stops the sugar from liquefying and leaking onto the baking pans during the forty-five minute bake at 350 degrees.
Bakers needing modifications can substitute plant-based milks and vegan block butter at a one-to-one ratio, though high fat content remains crucial for tenderness. Cool the finished loaves on wire racks for twenty minutes before turning them onto their sides to release from the 9x5 inch pans cleanly.
