Cinnamon-raisin bread moves deliciously between breakfast, snack and dessert, and a bread machine makes it so easy you might be tempted to bake a loaf for each. What you’ll get is a lightly sweet, fluffy and deliciously hydrated bread. The raisins and cinnamon-sugar swirl make this loaf a comforting treat any time of day. We prefer baking this bread in a horizontal bread machine (as opposed to a compact vertical bread machine) to ensure that the cinnamon mixture stays inside the loaf and doesn’t sink to the bottom where it can form an over-caramelized, hard exterior.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 1 loaf |
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 80 degrees F
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups bread flour (see Cook’s Note), plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- 1 cup raisins
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- For the dough: Add the dough ingredients to the bread pan of a 2-pound capacity bread machine in the following order: milk, butter, salt, granulated sugar, bread flour, yeast, milk powder and raisins. Program the machine for sweet bread (a 1 1/2-pound loaf) and start the cycle (see Cook’s Note).
- For the filling: While the dough is mixing and proofing, mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl until combined.
- At the start of rise 3 (about 1 1/2 hours after starting), pause the cycle (do not cancel the cycle). Remove the bread pan from the machine and transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Remove the paddle from the bread pan, grease the pan with butter and set the pan aside.
- Divide the dough in two. Roll into two 9-inch squares about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough squares evenly, leaving no border. Place one square of dough on top of the other. Starting on the side nearest you, roll up the dough squares into a tight cylinder or log. Tuck the edges into the loaf so that none of the filling is exposed. Pinch the dough together at the seams to keep all the filling inside.
- Place the loaf in the prepared pan and return the pan to the machine. Resume the sweet bread cycle. Let the loaf finish proofing and then bake, about 2 hours.
- After the bake cycle is complete, carefully remove the hot pan using the handle and a towel. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool, about 1 hour. Slice and serve. The bread will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 310 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 21 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 28 mg |
| Sodium | 215 mg |