Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread
I love recreating store-bought products at home because you can adjust every ingredient to make it exactly as you want. Like this vegan cinnamon raisin bread for example. If you like it loaded with raisins, add more. If you don’t want it too sweet, reduce the sugar. Don’t like cinnamon? Leave it out or replace it with another spice. Honestly, it’s almost too much power.
Regardless of what changes you do or don’t make, you’ll get a delicious loaf of bread. I used to eat the store-bought stuff religiously as a child and this recipe really satisfies that craving. It’s soft and sweet with the perfect amount of cinnamon. I could eat it every morning for the rest of my life, no problem. I mean if cookies are acceptable for breakfast, this bread certainly is.
How to make this vegan cinnamon raisin bread
If you’re familiar with making a basic loaf of bread, it’s pretty much the same but with the added swirl and dried raisins. And if you’re not, well, it’s pretty beginner-friendly as far as bread goes.
The dough. It’s a fairly simple dough to make. It can be made by hand or in a stand mixer if you have one. I like making this one by hand because it’s supple and really easy to work with as it doesn’t stick to your work surface at all. So it comes together easily and with minimal mess.
The raisins. What’s a cinnamon raisin bread without raisins? You can use any kind you have or like. Sultana, Thompson, golden or even currants. If your raisins are older or weren’t sealed properly and are drier than dry, I would suggest soaking them before using. Just soak them in a bowl of warm/hot water (or rum if you’re feeling fancy) for about 10 minutes while you prep your other ingredients or let the yeast foam, then drain to use. If your raisins are soft you don’t really need to do this unless you want to soak them in rum for extra flavour.
To incorporate them into the dough, i like to pat it flat, pile them in the center, fold the dough onto itself and give it a few kneads until they’re evenly distributed. When you’ve shaped your loaf and placed it in the pan, make sure no raisins are poking out to prevent them burning. If some are, just take them out and insert them into the folds in the sides.
The swirl. A layer of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture is sprinkled over the stretched dough that is then rolled up. It results in a sweet swirl that mimics a typical store-bought raisin bread. Like a giant cinnamon roll if you will.
If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!
Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 280 g unsweetened plant based milk, around 37C/98F, but no more than 48C/120F
- 2 tsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 50 g brown sugar, make sure it’s vegan
- 500 g all-purpose flour, or bread flour
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 60 g neutral oil, (grapeseed, canola, vegetable…)
- 70 g dried raisins
Swirl
- 60 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- unsweetened plant based milk, for brushing
Instructions
Dough
- Combine the lukewarm milk, yeast and sugar and set aside to let the yeast foam.
- Whisk together the flour, the cinnamon and the salt.
- Once the yeast has lightly foamed, pour it into the dry ingredients followed by the oil.
- Stir everything together until a rough dough forms then tip it out onto a clean surface and knead until it forms a nice smooth ball (10 to 15 minutes) and you’re able to stretch a piece thin enough to see light through it without it ripping. About 5 minutes in a stand mixer at medium speed.
- Pat it out into a flat circle, place the raisins in the center, fold the dough onto itself and give it a few kneads until the raisins are evenly distributed.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, making sure it’s all oiled to avoid a crust forming, cover it with a damp tea towel and place it in a warm place to proof for about 1h to 1h30 or until doubled in size.
Swirl
- Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line it completely with parchment. I wouldn’t skip the parchment since some of the swirl will leak to the bottom and cause your bread to stick.
- Once the dough has proofed, give it a few kneads and pat or roll it out into a 8×15 inch (20×38 cm) rectangle with the short side facing you.
- Brush the surface lightly with milk and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over it, leaving an edge at the top so the dough can stick to itself once rolled.
- Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the end seam shut.
- Place it in the prepared loaf pan. If raisins are poking out of the top, take them out and tuck them into the folds in the side to prevent them burning in the oven. Cover back up with the damp tea towel and let proof a second time until almost doubled in size (about 30 to 60 minutes).
- When it’s almost done proofing, preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. When it’s ready to be baked, brush the top with milk and bake for about 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches between 90°C/194°F to 94°C/201°F. If you see that the top is browning too fast, you can cover it loosely with aluminium foil and continue baking.
- Let it cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack and letting it cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- *Disclaimer: I have a tiny not-so-great oven, so your bake time may vary from mine.
- I strongly suggest making recipes by weight, if you make them by cups I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the same results.
- You can adjust the ratio of raisins in the dough to your liking as well as the amount of cinnamon and sugar.
- If your raisins are drier than dry, soak them for about 10 minutes in warm water or even rum to rehydrate them.
- The loaf can be kept about 2 to 3 days at room temperature but I would suggest keeping it in the fridge. It will last about a week and a half. It can also be frozen for up to a month.