Name: Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 3 h 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Pastry:; 1 cup sugar; 1 Tablespoon cinnamon; 2 Tablespoons yeast; 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups milk; 1 cup butter; 2 large eggs; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste; Cinnamon Schmear:; 1 cup butter, room temperature; 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar; 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon; 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour; Extra Ingredients:; 2 cups raisins; Glaze:; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2-3 Tablespoons milk

Cinnamon Raisin Bread is the perfect breakfast or snack! We've been enjoying this loaf so much that we just had to share it with you guys.

a loaf pan with a braided cinnamon raisin bread on a cooling rack

I've been making cinnamon raisin bread for years using various recipes but I was never happy with the results! Honestly, none of them were as good as what I could buy at Whole Foods. Now, that has totally changed! I decided to develop my own recipe for cinnamon raisin bread. Caylie came up with the way to shape it. And together, we have come up with a final product that really makes me happy and tastes great!

cinnamon raisin bread sliced on a wood board.

How to make cinnamon raisin bread

I'm sure I probably do this a bit differently than most. This recipe is vastly different than any other ones I have tried in the past!

First things first! You have to make sure you read through the entire recipe and gather all your ingredients together before you begin. This is not a recipe that mis en place is vital, but it does keep you from forgetting something!

For this bread, I made a sweet dough flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. I combined softened (not melted) butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour to make a schmear! I then spread that on my rolled out dough.

Sweet dough rolled out on a granite counter top.

Be aware that it's not going to spread spread perfectly on its own! It takes a little effort so you are going to have to work it until you cover the entire surface of the dough - all the way to the edges. I promise it does get there eventually! Just have patience.

When you get the schmear smeared, sprinkle the raisins over the sweet dough.

Sweet dough with cinnamon schmear and raisins.

Make sense so far?

Now, you have to cut the dough in half. Then cut each half of dough into four equal strips. A pizza cutter makes this an easy job and doesn't tear the dough!

Sweet dough with cinnamon schmear and raisins cut into eight long pieces.

Roll up each of the strips jelly-rolls style starting with the long sides. Pinch (or have someone hold the edges) all 4 strips together and braid. Tuck the ends under and place in your prepared loaf pan. Cover and set aside to rise. It is important to remember that you will need to cover this bread with foil 15-20 minutes into the cook time to keep it from over-browning!

Expert Tips:

Gather all ingredients before beginning!
Preheat your oven to 350.
When braiding, making sure you always start with the far end.
While baking, make sure to cover your loaf pan with foil after 15-20 minutes to keep from over browning!

cinnamon raisin bread on a wood board with icing.

When you make this Cinnamon Raisin Bread, make sure to leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, make sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #MSDeltaHospitality.