Easy no-knead gluten free cinnamon raisin bread benefits from a long overnight rise before being baked 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.
Similar to gluten free no knead bread, this homemade gluten free cinnamon raisin bread recipe could hardly be easier to make! Here, I amped up the classic overnight bread recipe with cinnamon, brown sugar, and juicy raisins. Tailored for bread bakers of any level, this recipe delivers a solid homemade gluten-free loaf that's so much better than anything you'll find in the store. Serve slices of toasted raisin bread spread with butter and strawberry honey jam and/or a swipe of tangy cream cheese.
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Why This Gluten-Free Bread Works
A gluten-free bread flour, like my DIY gluten free bread flour blend, is your secret weapon to delicious homemade gluten-free bread here. The no-knead method, made popular by Jim Leahy, means that this is a super simple recipe that doesn't involve much more than stirring together the dough, letting it rise, and then baking it off. And, with the proper amount of baking time (about 1 hour), your bread will turn out just as good as a bread made with wheat flour.
What You'll Love
First off, the scent of this bread baking will fill your kitchen with the wonderful fragrance of cinnamony, yeasty, fresh bread. That alone is a reason to make this recipe! And it's so delicious.
- Beginner-friendly. The genius of the no-knead method is that it's accessible to bakers of any level. If you are new to gluten-free bread-making or bread-making in general, don't worry! I promise you will be able to easily make this loaf.
- Better than store-bought. I'll be real here - I don't always love packaged gluten-free bread. It's tiny (why are the slices so small?!), expensive, and who knows how long it's been hanging around. I love making my own homemade gluten-free bread instead.
- Rustic. I love the rustic appearance of this loaf. It's not baked as a sandwich loaf but in the style of a sourdough round (my very favorite form of bread to bake). This means it's forgiving and meant to look like an artisan bakery loaf.
- Sourdough-like. The overnight rise creates a bread that is reminiscent of a sourdough loaf but doesn't involve a starter or multiple rises.
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.
- Gluten free bread flour - I prefer my homemade blend in this recipe, and King Arthur gluten-free bread flour is also great. You can also use your preferred gluten-free bread flour. Note that I have not tested the bread with other brands of flour, so your results may turn out a bit different than mine.
- 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's a look at all of the steps that go into making this bread:
1. Make dough: Stir together all of the ingredients.
2. Let rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for at least 16 hours.
3. Form dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead for about 6 times, then cover and let rise for 1 hour.
4. Prep: The dough should be slightly puffy after the rise. Place a Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 500F.
5. Score dough: Slash the top of the loaf, then place it in the hot Dutch oven and add the cover.
6. Bake: Reduce the heat to 450F and bake the bread, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Let it really 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.
- Knead in the raisins. I've noticed that the raisins can stick out a bit during the rise. Even though this is a "no-knead recipe," a small bit of folding and kneading the dough is helpful, both to incorporate the raisins and get the dough ready for the oven.
- 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.
- Heat the Dutch oven while the oven preheats. Place the Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats so that it gets nice and hot. This will help create that lovely crackly crust.
- Bake on high heat. I preheat my oven at 500°F and then lower it to 450°F for the actual baking.
- 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 40 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, especially important when baking with gluten-free flour.
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 1 day. Then, slice and freeze the loaf.
- 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.
Happy baking! If you make this no knead gluten free cinnamon raisin bread, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread (No Knead Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 cups gluten-free bread flour (I like King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour)
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 ¾ cups warm water , plus a few more tablespoons if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the 4 cups gluten-free bread 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 ¾ 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.
- Place a dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 500℉.
- Lightly flour a large cutting board with gluten-free flour, and keep the flour handy. Dump and scrape the dough onto the cutting board and add a little more flour if necessary so that it's not too sticky to handle. Knead and roll the dough for about 6 turns. 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 455℉. Bake for 40 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing it.
Notes
- Let it really 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.
- Knead in the raisins. I've noticed that the raisins can stick out a bit during the rise. Even though this is a "no-knead recipe," a small bit of folding and kneading the dough is helpful, both to incorporate the raisins and get the dough ready for the oven.
- 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.
- Heat the Dutch oven while the oven preheats. Place the Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats so that it gets nice and hot. This will help create that lovely crackly crust.
- Bake on high heat. I preheat my oven at 500°F and then lower it to 450°F for the actual baking.
- 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 40 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, especially important when baking with gluten-free flour.
Nutrition
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