No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
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.
No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
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
Instructions
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.