The Right Time To Add Raisins To Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

When dedicating the time it takes to bake fresh bread, you want to be sure that the steps you take are correct. Otherwise, all your hard work will be for naught. Take for example homemade cinnamon swirl raisin bread. Although you might assume that you should add the raisins in with the rest of the filling, adding them to the dough itself better incorporates the ingredient into the loaf. 

No one wants to bite into a warm slice of cinnamon swirl bread, only to have the dried grapes pop out the other side, after all. Thankfully, there are two ways to go about this hack. You can make your dough with the raisins, adding them with the yeast, flour, eggs, sugar, butter or oil, and salt, or you can add them once the dough has been made. 

For the second option, after making your dough and plumping your dried fruit in hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes, drain them, toss them into the dough, and mix them thoroughly throughout. Once they are evenly distributed, you can proceed with making your easy cinnamon raisin bread at home as usual.

Once you have made your dough and are adding the standard cinnamon sugar mixture, along with an egg wash to act as the "glue," you may want to consider how you can upgrade your loaf. While raisins certainly complement the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar well, other items like nuts, seeds, herbs, or fruit work just as well. 

A great example of this is our recipe for cinnamon-apple swirl bread, which incorporates maple syrup and brown sugar. A pairing of pecans and chocolate would also add a rich twist while teaming up bananas and walnuts would bring together two classics.

Once your filling is set and you've baked your bread, finish it off with a proper topping. While icing or powdered sugar is standard, a drizzle of honey or chocolate would offer a unique bite. You could even elevate your baked goods with a boozy twist by topping them with a sweet bourbon sauce.