Make the best Cinnamon Raisin Bread in your Bread Machine! This easy recipe can be made with swirls or without and be baked in the oven or in the bread maker. It's delicious for breakfast, snacking, and dessert.
"Came out just right, super soft and delicious."
Table Of Contents
Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread is an absolutely delicious recipe. It makes a sweet snack or a tasty breakfast bread when spread with butter or cream cheese and paired with hot coffee or tea. Make it once and it will become one of your favorite breads to make in your bread maker! You can make this whole wheat version of cinnamon raisin bread too.
Using the bread machine is much easier and quicker than making bread by hand, especially when it comes to making yeast breads like this one. This cinnamon raisin bread one of my reader's most trusted and favorite recipes, along with homemade garlic bread, super fluffy white sandwich bread, and artisan-style cheese bread.
This recipe is made with plenty of sweet sugar, ground cinnamon and raisins mixed into the dough rather than hand folded in to make swirls. But you can easily turn this recipe into a cinnamon swirl bread if you'd like (instructions are below).
If you love making bread in your bread maker as much as I do, make sure to check out this perfect pizza dough, bread machine banana bread and tasty rye bread next!
Yield
This recipe makes a 1.5 pound loaf and is intended for bread makers with a 1.5 pound or 2 pound capacity.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread flour: all-purpose flour is an acceptable substitution but you'll have a less chewy, soft and airy bread. For every 1 cup of bread flour, replace with 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
- Ground cinnamon
- Raisins: any variety of raisins will work, with regular raisins and golden raisins being my favorite types. You can substitute with currants if you'd like, which are mostly used to make hot cross buns but taste delicious here too.
- Milk: whole milk is my preference because of its fat content provides richness, but low fat or skim milk are okay too.
- Sugar: a combination of white sugar and dark or light brown sugar.
- Butter: always use unsalted butter since salt is also used.
- Yeast: instant yeast, active dry yeast, and bread machine yeast are all fine to use in a bread maker. I usually use active dry yeast because it's the easiest to find.
Equipment Needed
You need a bread machine, plus other tools to make baking, slicing, and storing the bread easier.
- Bread machine: I have this Cuisinart bread machine.
- Bread pan: if you're going to bake the bread in a loaf pan, pullman pans are a great choice. You don't need a bread pan for cinnamon raisin bread though- a baking sheet is fine!
- Bread slicer or bread knife: this Calphalon bread knife is one of the best I've used.
- Bread box or bag: if you're an avid bread maker, this is necessary for keeping your bread fresh for as long as possible. Laura's Green Kitchen boxes are my favorite! I also love the look of storing bread in a reusable bag. These are also great for gifting breads during the holiday season.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First, decide if you are baking in the bread in the bread machine or in the oven. If baking in the oven, use the dough cycle to knead and rise the dough. If baking in the machine, use the basic/white bread setting.
- Add ingredients to the bread pan in the following order: warm milk, butter, salt, brown sugar, bread flour and yeast (for Cuisinart machines). *If you have a different brand, check the instructions for the correct order to add ingredients.
- Select the basic/white bread setting if baking in the machine or the dough setting if baking in the oven. Select the 1.5 pound loaf option and your preferred crust color. Make sure the mix-in button has been selected (or add the cinnamon, white sugar and raisins to the mix-in drawer if your machine has this).
- When the mix-in signal chimes, add the white sugar, cinnamon and raisins to the bread pan. While the mix-ins are being kneaded into the dough, add another tablespoon of warm milk. This will help the sugar, raisins and cinnamon stick to the dough, while also hydrating the dough more to make it soft and light.
Now follow the method below depending on how you are baking the bread.
Baking In The Bread Maker
At the end of the last kneading cycle, remove the kneading paddle. This is optional and can also be done once the bread cools. Once the bake cycle is complete, remove the pan from the bread maker immediately using oven mitts. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cinnamon bread from the pan by holding it on it's side and running a knife between the pan and the bread. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Baking In The Oven
Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough ball from the bread pan. Punch the dough down a few times and form into a ball or rectangle. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or inside a loaf pan) and cover with a heavy towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes. Brush the top of the dough gently with egg, egg white, or milk (this creates a golden and crispy crust). Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, until a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the bread reaches 200° Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
How Can I Make It With Cinnamon Swirls?
To make a classic cinnamon swirl bread, use the dough setting and do not add the white sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Follow these steps>
- Once the dough has finished it's last rise, punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle shape, about 12x18 inches.
- Combine the cinnamon, white sugar and raisins in a mixing bowl. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Starting at the short end of the rectangle, tightly roll the dough into a log.
- Place the dough log into a greased loaf pan and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Allow it to rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Once the dough has finished rising, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips from the Chef
- Always read the instructions for your brand of bread machine before following any recipe. Different brands may have a different order for adding ingredients. Some machines also include a mix-in drawer rather than a timer.
- Most bread machines don't require proofing the yeast beforehand.
- You can use instant, active, or bread machine yeast in this recipe.
- Always add the cinnamon as a mix-in. Cinnamon interacts with the salt and yeast and can create a denser than usual loaf if kneaded into the dough from the very beginning.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of raisins use currants.
- Add ½ cup of nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, cashews or almonds, to make a nutty cinnamon raisin bread.
How To Store And Freeze
Bread machine cinnamon raisin bread should be stored in an airtight bread bag or bread box at room temperature. It will keep for 3-4 days when stored properly. It can be stored in the freezer for about 6 months in freezer safe bags.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour in your bread machine, but the result may not be the same. Bread flour has a higher protein and gluten content which gives bread a chewier texture, higher rise and more structure.
There are a few possible reasons for bread turning out dense. First, make sure the salt and yeast do not interact when they are added to the bread pan. Second, ensure you use properly measured flour and fresh yeast. Never pack down flour while measuring and never use old yeast. Using too much flour can also make the dough dry, which results in a dense loaf. And last, adding too many ingredients, such as raisins and cinnamon, can make the dough heavy and result in a dense loaf.
It's important to carefully follow the recipe and make sure the ingredients are fresh and measured correctly to avoid these issues and make a fluffy and delicious cinnamon raisin bread in the bread machine.
Hydration is key to a soft and fluffy bread. You should have enough water, milk or other liquids to create a soft and tacky dough ball that springs back when you touch it and is not crumbly.
No, this recipe does not create cinnamon raisin sugar swirls throughout the loaf. Because the dough is not rolled out and filled with the cinnamon swirl mixture, there will be no swirls throughout- only delicious cinnamon and raisin flavor evenly spaced within the dough! Baking cinnamon raisin bread in the bread machine will never produce swirls. But, if you bake it in the oven, you can as long as its rolled out and filled with the cinnamon raisin mixture properly.
Recipe
Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
Equipment
- bread machine
- bread knife
- bread storage bags
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup milk warmed to 115°F
- 3 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon yeast active, instant or bread machine
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Add ingredients to the bread pan in the following order: warm milk, butter, salt, brown sugar, bread flour and yeast (for Cuisinart machines). *If you have a different brand, check the instructions for the correct order to add ingredients.
- Select the basic/white bread setting if baking in the machine or the dough setting if baking in the oven. Select the 1.5 pound loaf option and your preferred crust color. Make sure the mix-in button has been selected (or add the raisins to the mix-in drawer if your machine has this). Watch the dough during the first 10 minutes of kneading. If the ingredients are too crumbly add more warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a smooth and sticky ball forms.
- When the mix-in signal chimes, add the white sugar, cinnamon and raisins to the bread pan. While the mix-ins are being kneaded into the dough, add another tablespoon of warm milk. This will help the sugar, raisins and cinnamon stick to the dough, while also hydrating the dough more to make it soft and light.
- Machine-Baking: At the end of the last kneading cycle, remove the kneading paddle. This is optional and can also be done once the bread cools. Once the bake cycle is complete, remove the pan from the bread maker immediately using oven mitts. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cinnamon bread from the pan by holding it on it's side and running a knife between the pan and the bread. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
- Oven-Baking: Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough ball from the bread pan. Punch the dough down a few times and form into a ball or rectangle. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or inside a loaf pan) and cover with a heavy towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes. Brush the top of the dough gently with egg, egg white, or milk (this creates a golden and crispy crust). Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, until a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the bread reaches 200° Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Lindsey Hamilton says
I’ve made this recipe so many times but recently the last couple times, my dough is becoming very sticky when I add the mix ins in the last 10-12 mins…the sugar, cinnamon and raisins…my dough will go from a nice dough ball to a sticky mess…any advise or suggestions?
Thank you!!
Kristina Tipps says
Try adding a few teaspoons of flour to the sugar, cinnamon and raisin mix in to eliminate that stickiness. That should do it!
Brittany says
I’ve made this bread twice and both times the loaf has mushroomed so high it touches the top of the view window… what am I doing wrong???
Kristina Tipps says
It sounds like it may be rising at too high of a temperature, which should be controlled in a bread maker though. I suggest using 1/4 to 1/2 tsp less yeast next time and seeing if that helps.
Lindsey Hamilton says
I make this recipe all the time! It’s a bread machine favorite for me and always turns out! Sometimes I have to watch to add more flour within the first 10 mins, but to me, that’s just bread! I have the Cuisinart compact bread machine, and while it doesn’t have an add in chime on the dough setting, I found that the dough cycle goes about 25 mins (stopping at the 1:05 mark for its rise) and I just stop the bread machine to add the raisins and cinnamon sugar with about 12 mins to go before it stops to rise. Always results in a nice distribution and inclusion of the extras. Thanks for the great recipe!
Bob says
Excellent. Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Kristina Tipps says
You can make it gluten-free by using 1:1 gluten free baking flour. The texture will be much different though, then when using bread flour.
Laurie says
Can this recipe be made with dairy-free " butter" and "milk"...
Kristina Tipps says
Yes it can.