Easy no-knead cinnamon raisin bread benefits from a long overnight rise and a bake in a hot Dutch oven! A fantastic recipe for beginners, experienced bread bakers will also love the crackly crust, juicy pockets of raisins, and pop of cinnamon sweetness.
Like easy dutch oven bread, my homemade cinnamon raisin bread recipe is a type of a "no knead" bread, but I've added lots of cinnamon, brown sugar, and juicy raisins! This is a slow-rise, overnight bread that doesn't need a lot of fuss, and in my opinion, it tastes just as good or better than a bakery loaf! Serve slices of toasted raisin bread spread with butter and strawberry honey jam, a swipe of tangy cream cheese, or top slices with persimmon jam or persimmon puree.
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Homemade Bread is the Best Bread
First off, the scent of this bread baking will fill your kitchen (and house) with the beautiful fragrance of cinnamon and fresh bread. That alone is a reason to make this recipe! If you are a raisin bread fan, you will love being able to make it yourself by using this super simple method that doesn't involve much else than stirring together the dough, letting it rise, and then baking it off. And it's so delicious.
- Beginner friendly. Just like my version of the classic no-knead bread, this cinnamon raisin no-knead bread could hardly be easier to put together. So, if you are new to bread-making, don't worry! I promise you will be able to easily make this loaf.
- Better than a bakery. Is there anything better than fresh bread? Seriously ... you may not go back to buying bread at a bakery. No matter when it's been baked, there is NOTHING like cutting a slice of homemade bread and enjoying it on the spot.
- Rustic charm. I love the rustic appearance of this loaf—it's not a sandwich loaf but more in the style of a sourdough round loaf (my very favorite form of bread to bake).
- Beyond easy. I'll keep going on about this because I truly want everyone to be able to make homemade bread: This is such an easy recipe that's really difficult to mess up. You can do this!
Ingredients You'll Need
This easy bread recipe calls for easy ingredients! See what you'll need below, then scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour. To make this into a more whole-grain loaf, substitute 1 cup of the flour with whole grain flour.
- Yeast - You can use instant dry yeast or fast-acting instant dry yeast with no need to activate it first.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Cinnamon
- Raisins - I used regular raisins, but golden raisins (or a mix of the two) are also lovely.
- Water - Warm water activates the yeast and brings the dough together.
How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread
I've included a lot photos below so that you can get a good idea of the stages of the dough rising. You can score the loaf or not, and I like to give it an extra good knead before the final rise to incorporate any raisins that may be trying to escape.
- Make dough: Stir together all of the ingredients.
- Let rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for at least 16 hours.
- Deflate: Pull up the corners of the dough, then let it collapse and rest for 15 minutes.
- Form dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead for a minute or two, then cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven: While the dough undergoes its final rise, heat the oven too 500℉ with the dutch oven inside.
- Add dough to pan: Very carefully add the dough to the hot dutch oven, add the lid, then bake at 475℉ for 30 minutes covered.
- Uncover the pan: Remove the lid of the dutch oven and bake the bread for 15-25 minutes more.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the dutch oven and let it cool completely on a rack.
Bread Tip: Knead in the Raisins
While this recipe is based on Jim Lahey's no knead bread recipe, it does benefit from a minute or two of rolling and kneading the dough before the final rise. This also helps to incorporate the raisins, which can stick out a bit during the rise. Don't overdo it, though—a simple folding and kneading technique is enough, with a little roll at the end to form a ball. Sprinkle some flour on the ball of dough after the 15-minute rise, then knead for 1-2 minutes, then rest again for 1 hour.
Tips & Some Variation Suggestions
- Let it rise. This bread needs a long, slow rise. I let my loaf rise for a minimum of 16 hours, and you can let it go for up to 2 days. The longer rise time will deepen its flavor and make for a better-baked loaf.
- Keep in a warm place. Try to let the bread rise in a warm place—I admit this is not always possible for me because our house can be cool, especially in the winter. I keep it near the oven, which is a warmer spot. Or, place it in a sunny spot to encourage its rise.
- Try the fridge. If you have the time and want an even more flavorful loaf, after the initial long rise at room temperature, cover the bowl of dough with plastic and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The day you plan to bake, remove it from the fridge, follow the recipe instructions for the brief kneading process, and then let the bread rise and warm up at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- To score or not to score. Scoring is the process of making shallow cuts to the surface of a loaf before baking. You can make small decorative cuts or use a sharp knife to quickly slash down the center of the top. You can also skip scoring altogether and simply bake the bread seam-side down in the dutch oven!
- Heat the dutch oven while the oven preheats! When you are preheating the oven, let the dutch oven heat as well. This will help create that lovely crackly crust.
- Bake on high heat. I preheat my oven at 500F and then lower it to 475F for the actual baking. I've also had success with 25 minutes at 500F and 20 minutes at 475F.
- How do I know my bread is done? A loaf of bread is fully cooked when it reaches 209-210°F (98-99°C) on an instant-read thermometer. After you have experience baking bread, you'll know when your bread is done by how dark the outside crust has become. I like to do 30 minutes covered in the dutch oven and then 20 minutes uncovered (times will vary depending on your oven).
- Cool the loaf completely. It's SO hard not to tear into a warm, freshly baked loaf of bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, but I urge you to wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2. This allows the starches to set and solidify (if you've ever been disappointed by a gummy crumb, chances are the bread didn't rest long enough).
Proper Storage
- Counter - Wrap any leftovers from the loaf in a clean kitchen towel or place it in a bread bag or paper bag and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - You can freeze the entire loaf by placing it in a sealable freezer-safe bag or slice it up and store slices in a freezer-safe bag. Whatever you do, make sure to let the bread cool before preparing it for the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. You let the bread defrost in the fridge or on the counter for a few minutes, or warm it from frozen in the toaster, toaster oven, or oven.
More Easy Bread Recipes
If you try this homemade bread recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Easy no knead cinnamon raisin bread benefits from a long overnight rise and a bake in a hot Dutch oven and is studded with raisins and sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 ¼ cups warm water , plus a few more tablespoons if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the 4 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon instant yeast, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1 cup raisins. Add the 2 ¼ cups warm water and mix well to incorporate all of the flour. If you need a little more water, add in 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir everything together to form a loose dough.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 16-18 hours, or longer.
- When ready to bake, uncover the dough. Pull up 1 side of the dough, then turn the bowl and repeat this step 3 more times so that the dough collapses. Cover again and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Place a dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 500℉.
- Lightly flour a large cutting board, and keep the flour handy. Dump and scrape the dough onto the cutting board and adding a little more flour if necessary so that it's not too sticky to handle, knead and roll the dough for 1-2 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and place it seam-side down on the cutting board, lightly flour it, and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Very carefully add the dough to the hot dutch oven. (You may score the top before or after placing it into the dutch oven if you like.) Add the lid and lower the temperature to 475℉. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake the bread for 15-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing it.
Notes
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- Let it rise. This bread needs a long, slow rise. I let my loaf rise for a minimum of 16 hours, and you can let it go for up to 2 days. The longer rise time will deepen its flavor and make for a better-baked loaf.
- Keep in a warm place. Try to let the bread rise in a warm place—I admit this is not always possible for me because our house can be cool, especially in the winter. I keep it near the oven, which is a warmer spot. Or, place it in a sunny spot to encourage its rise.
- Try the fridge. If you have the time and want an even more flavorful loaf, after the initial long rise at room temperature, cover the bowl of dough with plastic and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The day you plan to bake, remove it from the fridge, follow the recipe instructions for the brief kneading process, and then let the bread rise and warm up at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- To score or not to score. Scoring is the process of making shallow cuts to the surface of a loaf before baking. You can make small decorative cuts or use a sharp knife to quickly slash down the center of the top. You can also skip scoring altogether and simply bake the bread seam-side down in the dutch oven!
- Heat the dutch oven while the oven preheats! When you are preheating the oven, let the dutch oven heat as well. This will help create that lovely crackly crust.
- Bake on high heat. I preheat my oven at 500F and then lower it to 475F for the actual baking. I've also had success with 25 minutes at 500F and 20 minutes at 475F.
- How do I know my bread is done? A loaf of bread is fully cooked when it reaches 209-210°F (98-99°C) on an instant-read thermometer. After you have experience baking bread, you'll know when your bread is done by how dark the outside crust has become. I like to do 30 minutes covered in the dutch oven and then 20 minutes uncovered (times will vary depending on your oven).
- Cool the loaf completely. It's SO hard not to tear into a warm, freshly baked loaf of bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, but I urge you to wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2. This allows the starches to set and solidify (if you've ever been disappointed by a gummy crumb, chances are the bread didn't rest long enough).
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Nutrition
Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 242mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 3mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is an estimate (I'm not a nutritionist and can't guarantee accuracy!). Even when not specified, be sure to check that all the ingredients you use are gluten free if you need them to be by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer.
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