It's your time to shine when you make this delicious and EASY Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Your friends and family will be amazed at how you got the perfect swirl and the ease of it will be our little secret.
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This recipe is made by starting out with a brioche dough and adding raisins and, of course, cinnamon sugar and then baking it in the oven, Ninja Combi or a variety of other appliances. Brioche dough is one of the easiest doughs to make and work with and you don't need any special equipment, not even a mixer; however, they do speed up the process!
Brioche dough is a combination of dry ingredients: flour, yeast, and salt in this recipe, and then wet ingredients that can include eggs, milk, butter, oil or other enrichments. Brioche is called an enriched dough because of these additions. It's soft and pliable and super easy to work with.
It is common to use a basic brioche dough to make sweet breads, rolls, and buns.
The hardest part of the recipe is waiting for the bread to cool so you can eat it!
Suggested Kitchen Tools Making Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Stand Mixer with dough hook (not necessary, but makes it easier)
- Large Bowl
- (affiliate link)Pastry Mat or large clean work surface
- 9"x5" Loaf Pan
Ingredients & Substitutions
Flour
I use all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can also use bread flour, if you prefer.
This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour, so I am not sure how it would work out. If you want to use gluten-free flour, make sure it is a blend that is designed for baking bread.
Yeast
I use Instant Yeast in this recipe so I can skip the step of proofing or blooming the yeast in warm liquid. The amount of instant yeast I use is equivalent to one of the packets of instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast you can find in the grocery store.
If you want to use active dry yeast instead, you will use the same amount and proof it in warm water (remove the same amount of milk from the recipe) or you can proof it in warm milk.
Proofing yeast in warm milk can take longer than in warm water, so give it a good 10-15 minutes to become bubbly.
Milk, Eggs, & Butter
Milk
I use whole milk in this recipe, but have also tested it with half and half and it works great that way. You would use the same amount of half and half as a replacement for whole milk.
You can also use 2% or even skim milk if that is all you have on hand, the dough just won't be as rich in flavor.
If you want to use heavy cream, use half heavy cream and half water to create the ¾ cup needed for the recipe. You can even use ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup of water to make things easier.
If you are dairy-free, you can also use water in place of the milk.
Eggs
I use large eggs in this recipe and have not tested the recipe using a substitute, but as long as you use a suitable replacement that works in other dough recipes it should work out fine.
Butter
The butter can be salted or unsalted and you want to melt it, but also let it cool some so it doesn't kill the yeast when added to the dough. The temp of the melted butter should be under 110℉/45℃.
You can replace the butter with any neutral oil in this recipe with a 1:1 substitution. I recommend avocado oil or a vegetable oil for the best results.
Cinnamon & Raisins
Cinnamon
The ground cinnamon is the star of the show in this bread, so use good-quality cinnamon whenever possible. There is a lot of cinnamon in the swirl, and if you want less of a pronounced cinnamon flavor, feel free to cut it back to 1 Tablespoon.
You can also replace some of the cinnamon for other warm spices like ground cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, or allspice if you want to bring other flavors into the bread.
A cinnamon raisin bread with some ground cardamom sounds delicious!
Raisins
You can use any kind of raisins in this recipe, golden or the regular ones. You don't have to soak the raisins before adding them to the dough like some other recipes call for. The dough is plenty hydrated enough to soften the raisins.
If you aren't a fan of raisins, you can omit them or replace them with another small dried fruit like dried cranberries in a 1:1 replacement.
You can also add a few nuts to the dough, if you like.
Sugar
I use white granulated sugar in the dough and brown sugar in the cinnamon swirl.
You can omit the granulated sugar in the dough if you want it to be less sweet, but I don't recommend skipping the brown sugar in the cinnamon mixture.
On its own, cinnamon is very powerful and almost bitter. Skipping the brown sugar will produce a less-than-pleasant cinnamon raisin bread. The brown sugar can be dark or light; I used light brown sugar.
I haven't tested the recipe using a brown sugar replacement like Swerve, but it should work just fine.
How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Believe it or not, this is a really easy bread to make. Brioche dough is nice and soft, doesn't require a lot of fussy kneading, and works great with or without an electric mixer.
Make the Dough
You can use the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook or a large bowl and a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the dough.
You can also turn this into a no-knead dough by mixing the ingredients until they form a shaggy dough and placing it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 hours on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
Mixing the Ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour (3¼ cups for stand mixer or no-knead and 3 cups for hand kneading) to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl when mixing by hand like I did.
Stand Mixer Directions
- Add 3¼ cups of flour, instant yeast, and sugar to the bowl
- Add eggs, melted butter, salt
- Mix with the dough hook on low until all ingredients are combined
Add the yeast and sugar and mix well to combine. If you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you will need to proof the yeast in some of the milk that is warmed to about 110℉/43℃ and it will take about 10-15 minutes to become nice and bubbly. Once that happens, add it to the flour.
Add the eggs (lightly beaten if mixing by hand), melted, but cooled butter and the salt.
Mix with a spatula, wooden spoon, or clean hands to combine.
Add the milk and continue to mix until a shaggy dough ball is formed.
If you want to do a no-knead dough, lightly cover and let it sit on the counter for 2-3 hours or in the fridge overnight.
Kneading the Dough
Stand Mixer Directions
- Mix the dough on low for 3-5 minutes or until the dough forms a ball.
- Add in the raisins and mix on low for another 1-2 minutes or until the raisins are incorporated.
Hand Kneading Directions
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and sprinkle flour on top
- Begin kneading by hand by pressing the palms of your hands into the dough and pushing away from you.
- Fold the dough over and rotate it and repeat the process about 15-20 minutes. Add flour as needed (you should use most of the extra ¼ cup) to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- The dough is done when it is a smooth, shiny dough and feels tacky to the touch.
Video Lesson
Kneading the Dough by Hand
- Flatten the dough out and add about ⅓ of the raisins to the top of the dough.
- Fold the dough over the raisins, push the dough forward like when you kneaded it.
- Rotate the dough and add more raisins and repeat the process until all the raisins are incorporated.
- If you see any raisins poking out from the dough, poke them back in.
Proofing the Dough
Place the dough in a clean bowl (you don't need a greased bowl) or the container you are going to proof in.
I use the Ninja Combi to proof dough, but you can use any appliance that has a proof setting or leave it in a warm place covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel to proof.
Quick Tip
Brioche dough takes longer to proof than other types of dough due to the added fat in the dough
In the Combi, Foodi, or Speedi with the Proof function, you do not need to cover the dough.
Proof between 95-100℉/35-37℃ for 60-90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
At room temperature, let the dough rise until it doubles in size, it may take 90-120 minutes.
Prepare the Pan
Lightly butter the corners and upper sides of your 9"x5" loaf pan (or 1 pound loaf pan) and line with parchment strips. The butter helps hold the parchment paper against the pan.
You may be able to skip the parchment, but I haven't tested the recipe that way. I think there is enough fat in the brioche dough to prevent sticking, but I didn't want to chance it.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and brown sugar and mix well.
Stretch the dough and flatten it into a rectangle. The short edge should be as long as your loaf pan. The long edge should be at least 12" long for the best swirl inside the dough.
You don't need a rolling pin and you don't need to flour the work surface. Simply stretch the dough to the desired size.
Lightly coat the top of the dough with room temperature butter or you can brush on melted butter.
Leave about ½" along all of the sides except for the one closest to you.
Spoon the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the dough. Try to keep it ½" from the edge so you don't have issues sealing it.
The short edge closest to you should be covered with the cinnamon sugar.
Begin to roll the dough from the edge closest to you and make the smallest roll you possibly can.
Then roll the dough to the edge furthest away from you. You want to aim for at least 4 complete rolls, but 5-6 is great!
Seal the the sides and the top by pinching the dough together and tucking the edges.
Video Lesson
Rolling the Dough
Second Proof
Once the dough is in the pan, press it down so it fills the pan and then trim the edges of the parchment. This is important if you are using any kind of oven with a fan or the parchement paper can fold over and impede the rise and baking.
Proof again for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has risen just over the pan edge. You can use the same proofing method as you did the first time.
Don't worry if it proofs unevenly. Mine always seems to be higher in one stop, but it doesn't affect the quality of the bread.
Baking the Bread
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 325℉/160℃
- Bake the bread on the center rack for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown
- Cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from becoming too brown
- Bake another 30-40 minutes or until an internal temp of the bread reads 190℉/88℃.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. You can cool the bread in the pan or remove it.
Ninja Combi Method
- Add ½ cup of water to Combi Pan and set the pan of bread directly into the Combi Pan. Don't use the rack.
- Place the pan into the Ninja Combi
- Set the Function to Combi Crisp, the time to 300℉/150℃ and the time for 50 minutes.
- Press Start
- When the timer display shows 30 minutes left, open the door and cover the bread with aluminum foil.
- Close the door and bake the remaining time.
- The internal temperature when the bread is done should be around 190℉/88℃
- Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting. This can take several hours. Cutting it early can result in gaps between the bread and the swirl.
- You can remove the bread from the pan to cool or let it cool in the pan.
Once it's completely cool, slice and serve. This bread is so good that you don't even need to toast or slice it, but it's delicious that way, too!
Storing Cinnamon Raisin Bread
How to Store Leftover Cinnamon Raising Bread
Room Temperature
Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap in seran wrap and aluminum foil to keep it fresh. The bread can stay at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Refrigeration
For longer storage you can wrap the bread in seran wrap and aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Brioche dough does not become stale as quickly as other breads.
Freezer
Once completely cooled, you can wrap the bread in seran wrap and foil and then place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
Quick Tip
Use any leftover cinnamon raisin bread to make French Toast or Bread Pudding!
Frequently Asked Questions
The base of this bread is a brioche dough and will stay fresh for up to a week when properly packaged.
You can freeze it for longer storage.
You can absolutely cut the recipe ingredients in half and make a smaller loaf. Your bake time would decrease to between 30-40 minutes.
If you want to double the recipe, you can double the dough ingredients, but I recommend splitting the dough into 2 equal sections and making 2 loaves of bread instead of one large one. This will ensure proper baking.
No, you can leave them out or replace them with a dried fruit you like.
More Bread Recipes
Whether you are a beginner baker or more advanced, you are sure to find something you want to try!
Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoon Instant Yeast
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine grind sea salt or Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup raisins
- extra butter for hands
Cinnamon Swirl
- 6 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1-2 Tbsp soft butter
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Instructions
- Add the flour, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of stand mixer. Mix to combine. Add the salt and mix.3¼ cups all purpose flour, 2¼ teaspoon Instant Yeast, 2 tablespoon white sugar, 1 teaspoon fine grind sea salt or Kosher salt
- Add the eggs to the dry mix with the melted, but cool butter. Mix with dough hook on low speed.2 large eggs, 4 tablespoon melted butter
- Slowly add in the milk while mixing on low speed until it is incorporated. The dough will be sticky and wet. Knead on low or medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the raisins and mix on low until they are mixed in. This takes less than a minute usually.¾ cup milk, ¾ cup raisins
- Rub your hands with some butter and remove the dough from the mixer. It will be sticky. Place the dough into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This can take 90-120 minutes. If you have an appliance that can proof bread, use that to speed up the process. I proof in my Ninja Combi with the dough directly in the Combi pan and proof for 75 minutes on 95℉/35℃.extra butter for hands
- While the dough is proofing, prepare your 9X5 loaf pan by spreading a little butter in the corners and top edges of your pan, then line the bottom with parchment cut to size. I put one piece lengthwise and 1 piece widthwise.
- Make the cinnamon sugar filling by mixing the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.6 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- When the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and palce it on a floured surface.
- Stretch the dough into a rectangle that is the length of your loaf pan (9") and about 12" long. Rub the dough with soft butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top leaving about ½" around all sides except the short edge closest to you. You want the cinnmon sugar to go all the way to the edge of the side closest to you.1-2 tablespoon soft butter
- Begin rolling the side closest to you away from you like a jelly roll. Continue rolling and try to get 4-6 complete rolls if possible. Try not to get any cinnamon sugar on the other short edge or the sides or you may have issues with it sealing back together.
- When you are done rolling, pinch the ends together and push them into the rest of the loaf to seal it. Pinch the top seam together to seal it. Your bread roll should be the same size as your loaf pan and it will fill it about ½ way to the top.
- Place the loaf pan inside the combi pan and proof at room temperature or on 95℉ for about 60-90 minutes or until the dough rises just above the top of the loaf pan.
Oven Baking
- Preheat the oven to 325℉/160℃. Bake at 325℉/160℃ for 20-30 minutes and then cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning.
- Bake another 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is around 190℉/88℃.
- Remove and allow to cool completely. You can remove the bread from the pan or let it cool in the pan.
Ninja Combi Baking Instructions
- Put ½ cup water in the combi pan and set the loaf pan right in the water. Place the combi pan in the appliance and shut the door. Select Combi Crisp on 300F for 50 minutes. Hit start.
- Once the time has reached 30 minutes, check on the loaf and cover it with aluminum foil. Close the door and let it finish baking the remaining time.
- Remove from the Combi and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Karen Crook
I just recently bought the Combi and tried this recipe. This is sooo good. My husband and I can’t stop eating it! Thank you for the recipe.
Louise
I'm so glad to hear that!