No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
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Get ready to gush over this super easy delicious No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread! Baked right in a cast iron pot, it’s got a crispy crust, soft springy texture, and is perfectly sweetened with a touch of brown sugar. Your family will not be able to wait to slice into it as the amazing aroma of cinnamon raisin fills your home as this yummy bread bakes in the oven!
Easy No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
When you put cinnamon and raisins together with a delicious bread dough it’s like a flavor combination match made in heaven! There is nothing better than biting into a warm slice of Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pull Apart Bread with Raisins. But you look at the recipe and see that there is kneading, rising, forming, and baking. Sure on some days that’s not a big deal and baking is totally therapeutic. But other days you need something a little quicker. Or, in this case, a lot quicker!
With this recipe, if you’ve got no time for kneading!?! No worries! This no knead cinnamon raisin bread recipe is a simple, delicious, and pretty foolproof way to make some unbelievably good bread. In fact, you don’t even have to activate the yeast! But unlike my Fast and Easy No Knead Bread you do have to let it rise for some time. Yet, this means that you can whip the dough together in minutes and then return to it hours later right before it needs to be baked! Easy peasy bread making at its best!
So if you’re a regular bread baker, this technique is going to change your life. It’s so simple and so good that you might wonder why you ever bothered baking bread the old way. And for beginners, it’s a fantastic way to start learning your way around bread baking with a lot less work!
Why You’ll Love This No Knead Cinnamon Bread
- Perfect for Beginners! With just 7 easy to find basic pantry ingredients and a cast iron pot, you can make this super flavorful simple no knead cinnamon raisin bread recipe. No special bread baking knowledge is needed.
- Cinnamon Raisin Yumminess! Chock full of cinnamon and raisins with a bit of brown sugar folded into the dough for a touch of sweetness, this soft cinnamon raisin bread with a crispy crust is incredibly good.
- Family Favorite! This homemade raisin bread makes an excellent sweet treat any time of the day that the whole family will love. And it’s a much healthier snack or dessert for kids than cookies or chocolate.
- Flour – Basic all-purpose flour is all you need to make this no knead bread recipe. However, bread flour is another option if you prefer.
- Salt – A touch of salt is important to help develop the flavor of the dough and balance the sweetness.
- Active Dry Yeast – This is the leavening agent used to make the dough rise. Be sure to check the expiration date on your yeast.
- Cinnamon – No other spice goes with raisins quite like warm ground cinnamon. You can also add a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg if you like.
- Raisins – The star ingredient, use plump raisins for the best-tasting raisin bread.
- Water – You need lukewarm water that is between 105°F to 115°F (41°C to 46°C) to activate the yeast and bring the dough together.
- Brown Sugar – Adds a lovely touch of sweetness to the bread.
This bread recipe is so easy and foolproof! But it does require a little bit of patience. However, it takes very little effort and the results are amazing!
For this recipe, you don’t have to activate the yeast before making the dough! All you have to do is stir the flour, salt, yeast, ground cinnamon, and raisins together in a large bowl.
Then pour the lukewarm water into the bowl and mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula until it’s fully combined. All the flour must be well incorporated into the dough.
Once the dough is made you don’t have to knead it, but it does need time to rise. So cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Then leave the dough to sit on your kitchen counter or inside an unheated oven for 12 to 18 hours. In order for the yeast to do its job properly, the dough must be left to rise for a minimum of 5 hours. The longer you leave it the better your results will be.
After the dough has had plenty of time to rise, preheat your oven temperature to 450°F (232°C) and put your cast iron pot with its lid on into the oven as it’s heating up. Then once the oven reaches 450°F (232°C) use oven mitts to carefully remove the hot pot from the oven and then remove the lid. Take extra care not to burn yourself while doing this step.
Before you begin, flour your hands well. Now, sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough in the bowl. Then gently remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a well floured work surface. Next, flatten the dough just a bit with your hands and then sprinkle it with the brown sugar. Then fold the dough over itself a few times to blend the brown sugar a little bit into the dough. Finally, form the dough into a ball using more flour if needed and place it on a piece of parchment paper.
Now let’s bake some delicious sweet bread! First, drop the ball of dough into the hot Dutch oven with the parchment paper and cover the pot with the lid. Next, transfer the pot back into the oven and bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and bake it for another 15 to 20 minutes until it’s golden brown on top. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing it to serve.
How Do You Know When No Knead Bread Is Done?
When no knead bread is finished baking the crust should be firm with a darker golden brown color. So if the bread is still pale you need to leave it in the oven to bake for a few more minutes. Another way to see if the bread is done is by using an instant-read thermometer. Just insert it into the center of the loaf and if the bread is at least 195°F to 205°F (91°C to 96°C) inside then it’s done.
Why Is My Homemade No Knead Bread So Dense?
If your no knead bread turns out dense it’s likely because you didn’t give it enough time to rise. No knead bread recipes are easy to make but they require a longer rise time, which gives the gluten plenty of time to develop in place of the kneading. The other reasons that your bread may have turned out dense are that you overbaked it or you used expired yeast.
Expert Tips
- Check the date on your yeast. Always check the date on your yeast before starting any bread recipe. The main reason that homemade bread fails is due to old expired yeast.
- Lukewarm water is a must. The water must be between 105°F to 115°F (41°C to 46°C) for the dough to come together and rise properly. You can easily use a digital cooking thermometer to check the temperature of your water.
- It needs time. You must give this no knead cinnamon raisin bread dough at least 5 hours of rising time. If you don’t allow it the time it needs to double in size your bread will turn out heavy and be very dense.
Storage
No knead cinnamon raisin bread will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days in a container or bag. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag or double wrapped in plastic wrap. Then just allow the bread to thaw out at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Other Delicious No Knead Bread Recipes To Try
- No Knead Bread
- Air Fryer No Knead Bread
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
- Fast and Easy No Knead Bread
- No Knead Potato Bread
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (ground)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1½ cup water (lukewarm (105°F to 115°F))
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a big bowl mix the flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon and raisins together. Pour water into the bowl and using a spatula or a wooden spoon mix it until well incorporated. You do not need to activate the yeast before, even though we're using active dry yeast.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter or inside your unheated oven for 12 to 18 hours. You need to let this dough rest for a minimum of 5 hours to allow the yeast to do its job.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Add your cast iron pot to the oven as it's heating and heat it as well until it's at 450°F. Usually when the oven is done preheating your pot should be hot enough as well. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid from it. Use oven mitts, as to not burn yourself.
- Flour your hands really well and also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a well floured work surface. Flatten the dough a little bit then sprinkle the brown sugar over the dough. Now fold the dough over itself a few times, to make the brown sugar blend a bit into the dough. Form the dough into a ball, use more flour if needed. Place the dough over a piece of parchment paper.
- Take the ball of dough with the parchment paper and drop it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pot, it should fall out easily. Let cool completely before slicing into it and serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Check the date on your yeast. Always check the date on your yeast before starting any bread recipe. The main reason that homemade bread fails is due to old expired yeast.
- Lukewarm water is a must. The water must be between 105°F to 115°F (41°C to 46°C) for the dough to come together and rise properly. You can easily use a digital cooking thermometer to check the temperature of your water.
- It needs time. You must give this no knead cinnamon raisin bread dough at least 5 hours of rising time. If you don’t allow it the time it needs to double in size your bread will turn out heavy and be very dense.
- This cinnamon raisin bread will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days in a container or bag. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag or double wrapped in plastic wrap. Then just allow the bread to thaw out at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Thankyou Jo, my first attempt. I’m thrilled. It was so easy to make. I know many find kneading bread therapeutic but I hate it so no knead bread has been a revelation !
Congrats! Glad it turned out, enjoy it!
Can I use my kitchenaid stand mixer with dough hook?
Since it’s a no-knead bread recipe, you wouldn’t typically use a stand mixer. However, if you prefer to use the mixer for convenience, you can try mixing the ingredients on low speed just until they come together, being careful not to overmix. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as usual.
Love this bread-so easy to make! This is my second batch in a weeks’ time. Love that this can be frozen as well.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying the cinnamon raisin bread.
I LOVE this bread! If I wanted to bake this in a loaf pan, how big of a loaf pan, and what temp and time should I use?
Thanks!
Tina
Hey Tina, so glad you’re loving the bread! For a loaf pan, try using a standard 9×5 inch pan. Keep the oven at 450°F (232°C) and bake for about 30-45 minutes. Just keep an eye on it towards the end to make sure it’s done to perfection.
Hi Jo, another great recipe. Bread turn out nice and soft. I used 1tbsp of honey instead of brown sugar which I added to the bread and also sub 1/3 of flour with wholemeal. Was surprise that this bread only needed 1 initial proofing and bake immediately after shaping and yet turn out well. 👍👍
It looks great! Enjoy!
This bread was so delicious . Very soft with just the right sweetness . I will make this often.
It looks great, so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! I only have granulated sugar on hand, can I substitute that for the brown sugar? Would it still get the cinnamon swirl?
Yes, you can use granulated sugar as a substitute for brown sugar. The swirl effect will still occur, but the taste may be less rich and caramel-like compared to using brown sugar. For best results in achieving the swirl, mix the granulated sugar well with the cinnamon.
This bread tastes amazing and was easy to make. I did have issue with the bottom turning black-doesn’t taste burnt but sure does look like it. Would it be beneficial to place a rack in bottom of dutch oven to keep bread off the bottom of the pan so it might not burn?
Glad you loved the taste! Placing a rack or even a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the Dutch oven can help prevent the bottom from turning too dark
I’m a newbie to bread making. The first loaf tasted great but was extremely dense. Second didn’t rise at all. I’m on my third attempt. I just made the dough. It looks a little shaggy. Is that OK?
It’s great that you’re giving bread making another try! For this bread, a shaggy and somewhat sticky dough is actually quite normal. The dough should look a bit rough and not completely smooth.
If your first loaf was dense and the second didn’t rise well, here are a few tips:
Ensure your yeast is fresh and active. If the yeast is old, it might not be effective.
The water temperature is important. It should be warm but not too hot, as extreme heat can kill the yeast. Aim for around 110°F-115°F (43°C-46°C).
Give the dough enough time to rise, in a warm, draft-free environment. It may take longer, especially in cooler conditions.
Be gentle when incorporating the cinnamon and raisins, as overworking the dough can affect the rise.
A bit of shagginess is okay. It should smooth out a bit as it rises and develops gluten.
Hi Jo! Been enjoying your website lately. Especially love the one-pot chicken & orzo dish! – I was quickly putting this together for breakfast tomorrow & inadvertently put the sugar into the mix. Have I ruined it? Please advise.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the website and the one-pot chicken & orzo dish! About the cinnamon raisin bread, don’t worry – adding sugar into the dough mix early on won’t ruin it. In fact, the sugar will just give the yeast more to feed on, possibly making your bread a bit sweeter and helping with the rise. Go ahead with the rest of the recipe as planned. It should still turn out delicious, perfect for a sweet breakfast treat.
If I only have a 3 quart stainless steel stockpot, can I use that to put my dough in to cook?
Absolutely! Just make sure the stockpot can handle the oven temperature required for the recipe. Also, remember to grease it well to prevent sticking.
My daughter said it tastes just like bread from her favorite French bakery. I thought it a bit heavy but, it sure was tasty.
I made this no knead cinnamon raisin bread and it turned out amazing! Ty for sharing! Was even better with apple butter on top Devine🤌🏽.
So glad you liked it!
I don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, can I use the one I have?
Absolutely! You can use any oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid for no-knead bread. Just make sure it can handle the high heat.
I just made this and it is delicious. I doubt there will be any left tomorrow! My house gets cold at night, so I had a light on the dough all night and I believe it helped with the rising. We love the crunchy crust – so yummy. I’ll be making this again soon.
So glad to hear it was a hit! Using a light for warmth is a clever trick for rising dough, especially in a cooler house.