Simple, classic raisin bread, that is great eaten with butter, makes great toast or try it for sandwiches, too! Freezes beautifully.
Why you’ll love this classic raisin bread recipe
This classic raisin bread (without cinnamon) is in regular rotation in my kitchen. It’s one of my favourites and there are lots of reasons to love it!
First, this bread makes great toast, so it is perfect for morning enjoyment. And if you think you’ll miss the cinnamon, try adding cinnamon sugar to your toasted raisin bread.
Secondly, it also makes great sandwich bread. Yes! Try it with a turkey, havarti (or Swiss) and sprouts sandwich and I think you’ll agree :)
This bread freezes beautifully and you can easily double the recipe, if you’d like to double your pleasure and stash some away in the freezer to enjoy anytime.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Raisins – You can use any kind of raisin you like. I have used Thompson raisins here. I have also used Sultanas and Golden Raisins in the past. You can use what you have, what you prefer, or use a mixture, if you like.
- Milk – Milk in yeast bread doughs provides wonderful flavour and texture. Whole milk (3%) will produce the nicest results, but any milk will work. That said, if you aren’t wanting to use dairy, you can replace it with an equal amount of water.
- Butter – Like the milk, the melted butter provides nice flavour in this loaf, but can be replaced with an equal amount of liquid oil, such as vegetable, canola or any neutral-tasting oil.
- Flour – unbleached all purpose flour is always my first choice for yeast bread baking. If you don’t have unbleached, regular all purpose flour is fine. If you only have bread flour, it can be used, but you will probably need less flour over-all. If you like, you can replace up to 1 cup of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. (You may need less flour over-all if you add whole wheat flour and your loaf will be more dense in texture.)
- Yeast – You can use either active dry yeast or regular instant yeast here (such as SAF Brand). As this is a classic two-rise recipe, rapid or quick rise yeast isn’t recommended here.
- You will also need: Egg (1) and salt
A note about Cinnamon
This is a classic raisin only bread, which is a different bread from a cinnamon raisin bread. If you are really wanting to add cinnamon, you could add some (a teaspoon or so) to the dough, but keep in mind that cinnamon is a yeast-inhibitor, so its presence in the dough will slow the rise considerably. Be prepared to extend the noted rising times. This is why you often see cinnamon raisin breads swirled, to prevent slowing the yeast.
Baking Tips
Scalding the Milk for Yeast Bread Baking – it is often suggested that milk used in yeast breads be scalded. That just means heating it to 181F. The heating process denatures the whey proteins in the milk, which tend to inhibit yeast activity. If you don’t mind the extra step, it’s a worth it, in my opinion. Just be sure to have a thermometer to be sure you heat it to 181F and then it’s very important to let it cool sufficiently before add your yeast. Again, use a thermometer to test. You want the milk to cool to 105-110F for active dry yeast. Instant yeast can handle a little warmer, up to 125F.
Plumping Raisins – As raisins are by nature a dehydrated fruit, the process of “plumping” them by soaking in hot water is just returning some hydration to the fruit. Not only are they lovely in the bread after plumping, but they don’t soak in any of the moisture from the dough, which un-plumped raisins can, drying out the dough and the resulting loaf.
Plump raisins by soaking them in very hot or boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. I like to toss them in a bit of flour when adding to bread, as it helps them grab onto the dough and incorporate more easily and quickly.
Hiding the Raisins in the Dough – if you’ve ever tasted a burnt raisin, you know that it’s not a pleasant flavour. It’s bitter and unappealing. The best tip for raisin bread is to be conscious of keeping all the raisins inside the dough and not exposed on the outside of the dough after your form it into a loaf. Push any exposed raisins into the dough and you won’t have any bitter raisins to deal with after you bake your loaf.
Always hold back some of the flour – While all yeast bread recipes include a quantity for the flour, it will never be exact, as flour brands or humidity can vary from kitchen to kitchen. As such, you never want to just dump the specified quantity of flour into the bowl all at once. A good rule of thumb is to add 3/4 of the specified flour and mix in well. Then, if needed, continue adding more flour, in very small increments, mixing between additions, until your dough is the desired consistency. Generally you’re looking for a smooth, moist, but not sticky dough, that wraps around the kneading hook and cleans the bowl.
Storing and Freezing
Store cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can extend the shelf life by refrigerating.
This bread will also freeze well up to 2 months.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
Get the Recipe: Classic Raisin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, scalded *see instructions below
- 1 cup raisins, plumped *see instructions below
- 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour, unbleached recommended, spooned and levelled
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, salted or unsalted
- 1 large egg
For glazing after baking:
- 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Scald the milk: Heat the milk in a small saucepan on the stove-top over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 181F. (If you don't have a thermometer, this will be when the milk starts to steam and small bubbles form around the edges. Don't let the milk boil! Pour milk back into the measuring cup and let stand until cooled to lukewarm or about 105F.
- **If using active dry yeast, add the yeast to the lukewarm milk. *Ensure it has cooled to lukewarm. If too hot, it may kill the yeast. Stir in and let stand 5 minutes.
- Plump the raisins: Add the raisins to a small bowl. Cover them with very hot water and let stand until needed.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook, add 2 cups of the flour, the instant yeast, the white sugar and salt. Mix briefly to combine.
- Add the lukewarm milk (or milk/yeast mixture if you used active dry yeast) to the flour mixture. Add the melted butter (*be sure it is cooled so it doesn't cook the egg you will be adding next :). Add the egg. Knead to combine well. Start adding more flour, in small increments, until the dough wraps around the hook and cleans the bowl.
- Drain the raisins and toss in a little flour. Add to the dough in the mixer or bowl and mix to combine. Add a bit more flour, if needed.
- Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly (1-2 minutes), until smooth. Form into a ball.
- Place dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle about 9 inches long and 5 inches wide. Bring the edges along the long side in towards the centre and pinch together. Flip the loaf over. Push any exposed raisins back into the dough, so they don't burn. Place into prepared loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F. (not fan assisted)
- When loaf is ready, bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190F. **Check loaf after 25 minutes of baking. If it is dark enough, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over-top to prevent further browning. Continue baking until done.
- Remove from oven and immediately remove from the loaf pan to a cooling rack. While the loaf is still hot, mix up the sugar/water glaze and brush the top of the loaf. Allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
More Bread Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I’ve used various recipes …this is the best. I did add a half cup more raisins, no plumping.
So glad you are enjoyed it, Roger :) Thanks so much!
Best raisin bread ever!!!! I used Sun Maid Golden raisins and boiled the filtered water then cooled it to room temp and plumped the raising for approx. an hour.
I misread the recipe and put in 2 tbs of sugar instead of 1 1/2 tbs. The 2 tbs is for the dough. I’ll make 3 loaves of this for Christmas and I’ll stick with the 2 Tbs of sugar.
I’m wondering if this dough can be prepared the day before and refrigerated, ready to bake the next morning.
My wife said it’s the best bread I ever made. Usually I make it from my starter yeast.
I’m so glad to hear, Joe! And you can definitely tweak the sugar in the loaf, without a problem, other than the loaf being a touch sweeter or not. I haven’t done an over-night rise with this bread, but generally you can wrap and refrigerate after shaping the loaf and placing it in the pan. In the morning, take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature and finish it’s rise, if necessary, before baking.
With or without raisins, this is a great recipe!!!! My only addition, a tablespoon additional sugar. Loaves turn out perfect every time. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you are enjoying it, Jack :) Thanks so much!
I have been craving raisin bread, and this took care of that craving. I am currently eating my second slice of raisin bread toast! I learned from my mother to soak raisins in hot coffee, so I did just that, but I also wanted a hint of cinnamon, so I added cinnamon to the coffee. It was just enough. Thanks for this recipe, it is a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Amy :) Thanks so much!
This was the first raisin bread i ever made. I baked it in a clay dutch oven with a clay lid. I removed the lid after 25 min, so, sort of opposite the recipe. And i let it go an extra 5 min so total time was 40min. It is soooo good! I cant believe how well it turned out. And i had all the ingredients on hand. Very simple process.i mixed the ingredients in a bowl without a mixer. I was wondering, it doesnt really need it, but could you add vanilla extract or rum to the raisins to make a more holiday stollen type bread? Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m so glad to hear, Tim! And yes, you could absolutely add vanilla, or soak the raisins in rum. I’ve soaked raisins in steeped tea before, too, which was nice. Thanks!
Hey Jennifer, I bought raisins yesterday and I really wanted to make raisin bread. But in cupcake style, just to have more fun with the dough, I don’t see anywhere where you say that the recipe can be used like that, but I will test and hopefully keep you updated on it.
Do let me know! Sounds great. Like raisin bread buns (would be great with lots of butter :)
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s in the oven and looks so good. I didn’t know about the cinnamon thing, thanks so much for adding that info. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Enjoy the bread, Lauren! Thanks :)
Hi Jennifer, I have hounded you with questions about making bread and in a different recipe you said you use saf yeast for your bread. I value your instruction and i know I have never seen that yeast in the stores, but low and behold I found it on Amazon. It seemed a bit pricey, but the packs are big and should last a long time.
So I read a comment where someone said that they keep this yeast in the freezer and it lasts forever. Now that had me curious, is that true? I am a bit sceptical but then again, maybe it is just something I haven’t heard of.
Also the packages don’t seem to have a BB date on them. I can see a row of #s on the back seal but they don’t look like expiry #s. Is this normal?
I cannot wait to try this raisin bread. It will be the first thing I will try with this type of yeast. I just cannot wait!
Hi Carol, You will love the SAF yeast! I empty the package into a jar and I keep it in the freezer. I use it straight from the freezer. I bake a lot and it lasts a long time. I think it will keep 2 years in the freezer. I think there is an expiry date somewhere, but I’ve never had it fail, so never had an issue there. You can add the SAF yeast directly to the bowl with the dry ingredients or you can proof it with water (like dry Active), so you can follow any recipe with it.
Thank you so much for letting me know about putting the yeast in the freezer! I am so excited to try it now and I love the photos you always have of such lovely bread. So now may my loaves turn out to be so beautiful. I know it will take time so I will be patient and follow your recipes.
I would like to make this with dried cranberries instead of raisins. What adjustments would I need to make? Thanks.
Hi Christine, you don’t need to make any adjustments. You should plump the cranberries just as you would for raisins and use the same amount as specified for raisins.
I’ve never made this before but I added a little bit of cinnamon in with the mixture. They look and smell amazing.
Glad to hear, Ashley :) Thanks!
This was so good! I had to slice it while it was still a little warm! It was my first attempt making raisin bread, this is the recipe I’ll be using from now on.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kay! Thanks so much :)
Great bread great tips. Used skim dry milk powder and got a perfect raise. Love burned raisins though so left those little guys poking out. Yum.
So glad you enjoyed it! I can’t say I’m with you on the burnt raisins, but if you love them, it’s all good :) Thanks!
I would love to make your raisin bread, but before I do I have a question which I hope you can answer for me, as I have searched and searched, but come up empty. I had made a raisin bread, in the dough cycle of my bread machine (not your recipe), and add the golden raisins are requested in the recipe. I shaped the dough into a braid and let it rise. I could see the raisins when I was shaping the dough, but after it cooked (1 hour later) all the raisins disappeared (there was 1/2 cup and it was for a 2 lb loaf shaped into a braid. Do you have any idea as to what happened to make all the raisins disappear. Thank you for your help.
Hi Valerie, I have never used a bread machine, but I’m going to guess that the method that the machine uses to knead the dough kind of pulverized the raisins. I would probably keep the raisins out until you shape the loaf. You can knead them in before shaping or scatter on the rolled dough and just roll them up in the bread.
I made your raisin bread recipe today and it is the best…I’m not a fan of cinnamon so that makes it even more perfect. It rose beautifully and the flavour is amazing. Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear, Judy :) I’m a fan of straight up raisin bread, too! Thanks so much.
My husband bought bread flour can I use this flour in your raisin bread recipe
Hi Jessie and sure, go ahead and use the bread flour. You may find you need to use a touch less flour over-all when using the bread flour, otherwise, will be fine. Enjoy!