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This delicious, no-knead, no-mixer, Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread has a sweet, buttery, tender-crumb that studded with plump raisins and swirled with cinnamon sugar.
I've been trying really hard to stay away from this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread as it's pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to just eat one slice. However, since I was starting to write this post, I thought it was important that sample a slice... you know, just so I could do a good job describing this delicious bread to you. Goodness! The things I do for you...
But now I can verify the statement above... it truly is IMPOSSIBLE to eat just one slice!
Our family used to take a vacation to a lovely beach in South Carolina. The beach was never crowded, the sand soft and white and the water took on a beautiful azure hue as the sunlight danced on the waves lapping the shore. We looked forward all year long to our time together and the lovely beach. Another thing that everyone anticipated was a wonderful bakery (called Kudzu Bakery) in a little town nearby. And although the bakery had drool-worthy croissants, sweet rolls, cookies, pies and cakes, their cinnamon raisin bread was out-of-this-world amazing.
When I took the first bite of this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread, I immediately transported to the fabulous Kudzu Bakery and felt like I had cracked the code! It's sweet "but not too sweet" as described by one of my taste-testers. The tender, buttery crumb of this bread (adapted from our No-Knead Brioche Bread) is delicious on its own but add a swirl of cinnamon sugar and a generous scoop of raisins and you definitely take it to that impossible-to-eat-just-one-slice status.
Other statements from test-taster friends and neighbors were:
"The bread is 5 star and the loaf is almost small enough to eat the whole thing. #dangerous"
"I just had a piece of raisin bread. Oh my! That is delicious!"
No Kneading
It's a bit magical to me how this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread has such a delicious tender crumb without having to spend time kneading the dough. Delicious homemade bread has always been much more work than this. In fact, other than popular artisan breads, most homemade bread recipes read "knead the dough for 8-10 minutes". Not this one, and, take it from an old fashioned bread maker, the results are just as good!
Minimal hands-on time
Although you do need (not knead) a bit of time to make this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread, most of it is rising and resting time. The hands-on time is for sure, less than 30 minutes. How does it work? Simply combine flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast (don't worry if you only have regular yeast we have an adaptation for that) in a large bowl. Add melted butter, milk, eggs and hot water and stir until combined. Cover and let the dough sit for an hour to get the yeast going then refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, divide the dough into four portions (or two, for larger loaves) and roll each one into a rectangle. Brush the dough with milk or cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Tightly roll the rectangles and place in buttered loaf pans. The rest of the time, again, is hands-off while the dough rises and finally bakes. That's it... except to prepare yourself for the most intoxicating aroma to fill the house!
Makes the BEST gifts!
Because this No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread makes four lovely little loaves and because it truly is #dangerous to have sitting around, I designed a pretty little label that can be attached with a ribbon for gift-giving. Imagine the excitement when a friend or neighbor finds a loaf of this bread on their front porch or in their mailbox. If you'd like a PDF for the labels, just leave me a comment below in the post and I'll be happy to share it with you.
There's an optional egg wash with a sprinkle of raw sugar but you probably don't want to miss this. It adds a delicious sweet crunch to each bite and only takes a minute or two. Plus it makes such a pretty presentation!
Has something come between you and a family member, neighbor or friend? A loaf of this No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread and a sweet text or phone call can breakdown barriers. Want to say thanks to a teacher, post worker, grocery or UPS delivery person? Use the back of one of these pretty labels to write a kind note of appreciation. Want to add some cheer to someone's day? Yep, you guessed it, a loaf of this No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread made and given with love is just want the doctor ordered!
Café Tips for making this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread
- The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Bread flour also works well.
- This recipe also calls for instant yeast but I've added a note after the recipe regarding how to adapt it for regular yeast.
- Don't like raisins? Just skip them for a really delicious loaf of Cinnamon Brioche Bread. Everything else will stay the same.
- I've made this Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread with currants in lieu of raisins - delicious!
- This recipe calls for hot tap water. The water should be nice and warm, not so hot that you pull your hand out if you touched it, but warm enough to feel hot.
- When turning the dough out onto the counter to form the loaves, use a tablespoon or two of flour. If the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface, you need a bit more flour. Just keep flipping the dough in the flour till it's not sticky.
- I love using one of these bench scrapers when making bread. Instead of turning the sticky dough with your hands, using one of these tools makes things really easy. It's also a great way to scrape any floury dough off of the counter when cleaning up.
- If you want to make the dough in less time, just don't refrigerate it. It will take about 1½-2 hours for it to rise and then you can proceed with forming the loaves. Allow the formed loaves to rise and bake as directed once they have risen.
- I usually use four 3x6-inch bread pans for this recipe. If you want larger loaves, you could also use two 8x4-inch pans. The baking time will be 10-15 minutes longer for the larger loaves. If the tops are getting too brown towards the end of baking time just cover the with some foil.
- I like to put a sheet pan on my stovetop after I place the loaves in the oven. Then when I remove them to add the egg wash and sprinkle of raw or turbinado sugar, the pan catches any mess.
- To create a nice cozy place for your bread to rise after being formed into loaves, preheat your oven for 1 minute (no longer!), then turn it off. Turn the oven light on and place your bread pans on a sheet pan. Cover the loaves with a clean kitchen towel and place the pan in the warm oven.
Thought for the day:
For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
What we've been watching for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups raisins
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup hot tap water, plus 2 tablespoons
For the cinnamon-sugar swirl:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
- soft butter for greasing the pans
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir well then add the raisins. Run your fingers through the mixture to break up any clumps of raisins. Make a well in the center of the flour/raisin mixture. Set aside.
- Melt butter in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high power, until just melted. Remove from microwave and add the ¼ cup of milk. Stir with a fork then add the egg and egg yolk and stir again until well mixed.
- Add the milk mixture to the well in the center of the flour. Add the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water to the well then stir to combine using a sturdy spatula. (Scrape the edges of the bowl as you stir, bringing the dry mixture to the center and rotating the bowl as you go.) If it’s hard to incorporate all of the flour, add one additional tablespoon of water.
- When all of the flour is well incorporated, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for one hour then place in refrigerator overnight, 6-12 hours.
- Generously butter four 3x6-inch loaf pans and set aside. (Alternatively, you could use two 8x5-inch loaf pans.) Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the work surface. Turn several times with a bench scraper or spatula until the dough is coated with flour. Using a bench scraper or spatula, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Turn each piece in the flour to lightly coat all of the surfaces. Add a bit more flour to the work surface if the dough is sticky.
- Take one piece of the dough and flatten it out with your hands into a rectangle shape. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger rectangle approximately 6x10 inches with the short side facing you. Brush the rectangle lightly with milk or cream to coat the surface. Sprinkle with a rounded tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Starting with the short side, roll the rectangle up tightly, then pinch the seam together tightly to seal. Tuck the ends under and again, pinch to seal. Shape with your hands to form an oval loaf. Place the loaf into one of the prepared pans.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and let the bread rise again in a warm place until the loaves look like they’ve doubled in size, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (see the note above in Café Tips about creating a warm rising place.)
- When the loaves are close to being doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350˚F (remove the pans first if using the oven as a rising place for the unbaked loaves). Prepare the egg wash by vigorously whisking together one large egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Set aside.
- Bake the loaves for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and brush each loaf over the top surface with the egg wash. Try to be careful not to let the wash drip down the sides of the loaves into the pan. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon raw or turbinado sugar.
- Return to the bread to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Check it after 10 minutes. If it's getting too brown on the top, cover it with foil for the last 3-5 minutes. (Larger loaves will take longer.) Remove bread from pans by gently inverting onto a cooling rack. (If bread is stuck to the side of the pan anywhere (from the egg wash), loosen it gently with a small thin-bladed knife.) Turn loaves right side up and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Vera says
In my comment dated September 16th, 2020,I meant ‘ I hope my brioche does NOT come out too dry ‘ ( with the addition of nuts). Apologies.
Chris Scheuer says
no problem! 💕
Joyce Haight says
Chris,
Your site has been a weekly inspiration! I'm been impressing friends and neighbors with your Ridiculously Easy Focaccio Bread and Buttermilk Crunch Cake. My first attempt at making brioche was such a hit with my husband, that I'd like to gift some loaves to others. Please forward the labels. Looking forward to more cooking adventures with you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Joyce 💕 I love that you had great success with the brioche! I'll be happy to send you the labels!
Annamay Gambino says
This recipe is a favorite of mine! Except for the inability to walk past and not grab a piece.
I loved the remembrance of your mother. I baked 8 or 10 loaves at a time too! I had six kids!
Made fresh pasta too. I loved being at home with my children. Never easy financially, but we managed. That was long ago.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I get the part about not being able to walk by these cinnamon rolls!
Bravo to you Annamay! My hats off to you and my mom 💕 We didn't have a lot either but God always provided abundantly 🥰
Beth Brown says
First time for a brioche. Thanks for making it so easy and delicious! It's in the " favorites" file now! I wold take the PDF for labels if you don't mind. Thanks!!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! That's awesome, Beth! Thanks for sharing your review! I'll send the labels now!
Margaret McGregor says
Not only a great raisin bread but a great base for a delicious bread pudding. I started using this recipe to make raisin bread for my husband who eats one slice every morning. He will not eat the crusts, so I have been cubing the end pieces and keeping them in the freezer. Yesterday, I used the frozen bread to make bread pudding using the recipe from "Breaking Bread" by Martin Philip. The dessert got a 5-star rating from the six people who ate it so I guess this gets a 30-star rating from me.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I love it, Margaret! Thanks for sharing your results as well as the idea for bread pudding from this bread - yum!
marlene julius says
Was wondering if bread flour would work. We don't get all purpose flour easily here in South Africa. Only wheat flour, bread flour, self raising flour. Love ur recipes and wondered if they could be adapted with regards to flour. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marlene, bread flour will work great for this recipe!
Aleta hancock says
I made this bread yesterday it taste delicious and look good only problem i had was it wasn't as soft as i expected, i follow the directions to the T.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Aleta, it's really hard to say without having been right there in the kitchen with you. There are a number of variables, your oven, the type of flour you use and how you measure flour.
Patty Coons says
Making gifts for family & friends. ALWAYS love your recipes, yours is the first place I go to for any recipe!!
Just finished making your ‘Artesian Bread’—love it! What wrap did you use for the bread gifts? Could I please have the pdf for labels, so cute!!! Patty
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Patty, thanks so much! So happy you've enjoyed our recipes 🙂
I will send the labels now. I just put the bread in a storage bag, tie with a ribbon and attach the label.
marysacco@bellsouth.net says
This recipe produces an absolutely delicious loaf of bread!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Mary! So happy you enjoyed it!
Lely says
Hi Chris
The brioche raising bread turned out delicious! I was short on eggs so I did not add the extra yolk to the dough and it did not seem to make a difference. I also shaped the dough after about 2 hours rise in a warm spot ( I did not put in the fridge) and baked it after the second rise (the second rise took another hour) . In retrospect, I think I could also have added more cinnamon as we all love it in this household. The recipe made two medium size loaves and we will certainly be making it again. I wanted to add a picture but could not find a way of doing so. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Lely! We appreciate you taking the time to share your results!
If you ever want to send a picture, you can send it right to my email. My theme does not allow pictures to be attached to comments.
Vera Teophil says
Looking forward to my first brioche this weekend. I will use currants and add a handful of crushed walnuts. Currants, walnuts, cinnamon ....one of my favorite combinations. I hope it does come out too dry. Will report result. Thank you for making it so easy to make this delicious French breakfast ‘bread’.
I would appreciate your lovely labels. Merci.
Chris Scheuer says
That sounds wonderful, Vera! I'll send the labels now!
Sarah says
I've made you brioche before and knew I just had to try this. My husband and I JUST devoured one of the loaves as soon as it was cool enough to eat. My husband said "I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow." So I'd say it was a success! He knows I'm always baking bread and taking it to the neighbors and after he ate this, he gave me strict orders not to give any away. 😁 Thanks so much for sharing!
Inggrid says
Thank you Chris for the recipe!!. I love brioche bread, tried so many different recipes but the results never good. That's not until I found yours.
This is very easy, less handling and the result was define. I baked 2 loaf this morning and less than 1 hour after it came out of the oven, 1.5 loaf gone already.
It is sooooo delicious, soft, pillowy and the texture just so light - it's simply delish!!!! Definitely it's hard to stop only at 1 slice.
I didn't have sultanas at home but next time I bake this again I will put sultanas in it.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you loved this bread as much as we do, Inggrid! Thanks for sharing your results!
steph says
this was easy and absolutely delicious!! thx for the recipe 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Steph! So happy you enjoyed this bread!
DC says
Hi Chris, I hope this isn't a dumb question, but if I am making the 2 8x4 inch loaves, do I roll each piece of dough into about a 12x20 rectangle? Also, would you mind sending the pdf of the labels to me? Making this to take to my 2 adult daughters and leave on their doorsteps! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
There's no dumb question, DC but you are correct. 12x20 will work great. You could even go a bit smaller if you don't want to roll quite that much. I know your daughters will be thrilled! I'll send the pdf now!
Gwen King says
I love your recipes. I will make cinnamon brioche bread as soon as my grocery restocks the flour.
Please send the pdf ! Thank you’ll much.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Gwen! 💕💕 I hope you don't have to wait too long! Sending the labels now!
Elsa Moore says
I would love the PFD for the brioche cinnamon raisin bread. So kind of you. I am going to make this tomorrow and want to share with a dear friend who brings me meals as I’m on chemo..but I love to bake..I’m making the Lime Coconut cake today 😊
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elsa, you are so sweet to think of someone else at a time like this. I'll send the labels to you now. Hope you enjoyed the cake!
Kathy says
Hi Chris, I’ve made this bread twice, once with bread flour & once with all purpose flour & they were both great! The bread flour version was slightly more dense, but that’s about the only difference we noticed. The dough is so easy to work with & bakes up beautifully! We love to toast a slice & spread it with peanut butter for a quick breakfast. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
I appreciate you sharing your results, Kathy! I know this will be helpful to others. Your breakfast sounds wonderful!
Megha says
Hi Chris ,
Can I skip the eggs and make a vegan version of it . Or a semi vegan where I use regular milk . Is that ok to skip the eggs ?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Megha,
The bread wouldn't be as rich without the eggs but I guess to make it vegan, you wouldn't use the butter either. I think a recipe that's designed to be vegan might work better.
Sheila says
Hi Kat
Do you know if I am able to freeze half the dough for another time.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sheila, you can definitely do that. I like to slice it before freezing so I can just pull out one or two slices.
Bonnie S DeWitt says
May I bake these in paper baking pans?
Chris Scheuer says
I haven't tried it but I can't see why not.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bonnie, I haven't tried baking these in paper baking pans so I don't want to say for sure.
Mary C says
Chris, I read this recipe to the end before beginnng. However, I did not realize until I had mixed all ingredients that I used regular yeast and not rapid rise. Is my bread ruined? I'm so sad! I knew about the note to make changes if not using the rapid yeast. I always have rapid, but sent my husband to the store with specific instructions and assumed that was what he returned with. Not so! Is this a disaster?
Chris Scheuer says
That's so easy to do, Mary! I think you'll be okay. Keep it in a nice warm place until it starts rising and then go ahead and refrigerate as directed. Prooofing the regular yeast guarantees success but I've often had good results when it hasn't been proofed.
Gail says
Just dove into a cooled loaf. Fabulous!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! So happy you had good results, Gail. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
2sistersrecipes says
This is amazing bread and no knead is our kind of recipe! Thanks so much - can’t wait to try it! Hope you are d
All doing well! Stay safe!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much!
angela hoskyn says
This was amazing! Ty sooo mucb for the lovely recipe. I especially like the title of your website because I am FRENCH! How do I get the labels?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Angela! I'll send you the labels!
Brigitte says
Hi Chris, hope you and your family are doing well as we continue on our journey of social distancing. I too have been finding here in Canada there is a shortage of yeast, flour and baking powder. I always have a good supply on hand but now my supply is dwindling. I guess one good thing that has come from this Cov-19 is the fact that people are now discovering the old art of baking home made bread and the wonderful smell and joy of tasting a slice of freshly made bread. I would love to have your PDF label for the raisin bread, Im going to try my hand at making this bread and distribute a loaf to my children. I always try to package my baked goods so they look pretty, as well as tasting delicious. It makes people feel good with they see a pretty package filled with baked goods.
On another note I tried your cranberry scones and for some reason they turned out flat looking like cookies instead of scones. Can you give me some clue as to what I might have done wrong?
Thank you very much, stay well and safe
Brigitte
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your kind comment, Brigitte. You're so right about people discovering and re-discovering baking as a result of this pandemic.
Regarding the scones, it's really hard to say. Could you have used too much flour or skipped the baking powder?
I"ll get those labels off to you right now!
Alice Kolonis says
This bread was delicious! I made it yesterday and shared the cute little loaves with friends. Thanks for such an easy recipe 😊
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you had good success with this recipe, Alice. I know your friends appreciated receiving it! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
kat says
Hi Chris
All of your breads look delicious. What kind of adjustments would I have to make if I used gluten free flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kat, I haven't tried this recipe with GF flour. If I was going to test it, I would probably just use the King Arthur GF all-purpose flour. If you try it, please share your results!