World's Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread (Not Bread Machine)

From: firealarmqueen

On Sep 26, 2008

Yum yum yum. I followed the suggestions of adding sugar to the yeast water, I upped the raisins to 3 cups (though I think 2 will do for future use). This was really easy but time consuming. Make sure you have all the ingredients laid out and ready to go so there are no surprises. Other than pizza dough, this is my first yeast bread; I think it turned out really well. It's only been done for a few hours and one loaf is almost gone

From: AnitaG

On Sep 24, 2008

This was delicious! I used almost 3 cups of wheat flour and the rest was AP flour. I added more raisins based on other reviews. My house smelled wonderful! I don't think we'll be eating the store bought version anymore!

From: joy <3's baking

On Oct 11, 2007

Absolutely scrumptious- this cinnamon raisin bread turned out beautifully! After comparing a number of different recipes, I decided to give this one a try and I couldn't have been happier with the results. The loaves were fluffy, moist, and flavorful, and an intoxicating aroma filled my home not only during the baking process, but also every time a slice hit the toaster this week. I did make a few minor adjustments that I think made a positive difference to the final product: I added 1 T of sugar to my water/yeast mixture to help it proof. I increased the salt an extra 1/2 tsp (totaling 1 1/2 tsp) and increased the raisins an extra 2 cups (totaling 3 cups- I wanted to have 1 cup per loaf. At first, I was worried it would be too much, but in the end it turned out just right! Be on the lookout for extra moist raisins specially made for baking- I found them at my supermarket and they worked out great- if you can't find them, you can always plump your raisins in hot water for a few minutes before you add them!) Instead of 2 T of milk to wash the dough, I did 1 T milk + 1 T melted butter. I'd also recommend separating your dough into 3 parts before you start rolling- it made it so much easier to handle, and allowed me to form each loaf with a nice tight swirl. Just sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture in each loaf to make sure it comes out evenly distributed. Lastly, my loaves were perfectly golden and ready to come out at 35 minutes (10 minutes shy of the 45 minutes in the stated recipe.) I hope these suggestions help! Lydia, thank you so much for this fantastic recipe- my family simply loved it!

From: Queer Eye in the Kitchen Guy

On Oct 3, 2005

This was the pefect solution to a boring Seattle Sunday! I tried to make it in my standard sized Mix Master. There was barely enough room & was fine until the dough climbed all the way up & over the hook! Will keep a closer eye on it next time. The bread was perfect though! might add another 1/2 cup raisins next time too.