In the Kitchen With Kids :: How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread

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how to make cinnamon raisin bread with kids

My boys are of the age where they are interested in helping me in the kitchen. They are also of the age where they will snack me out of house and home if I’m not careful. One of their favorite snacks is cinnamon raisin bread. Between the three of them, they can consume an entire loaf of the store bought variety in an afternoon. So I decided to try making my own (and I got my 4-year-old to help). The results were awesome — you have to try it for yourself!

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups of milk
  • 1 cup of warm water
  • 2 .25 oz packages of yeast (this is equal to 3 teaspoons)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter, softened
  • 2 cups of raisins (the original recipe calls for less, I think it needs more raisins)
  • 8 cups of all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • 3/4 cup of white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

Instructions:

First, warm the milk on the stove until it *just* bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm. This is known as scalding the milk.

I made my bread in my Kitchen-aid stand mixer using the paddle attachment, and then the dough hook. (No mixer, no problem! You can also mix the dough by hand.)

Warm your mixing bowl by running it under hot water for a minute or so. Dry out the bowl. Add your water and yeast, and set aside until frothy. Add the milk, eggs, the butter, and the raisins and mix until blended, using the paddle attachment. Switch to your dough hook and start adding the flour until it makes a stiff dough. (I ended up using a little more than 8 cups of flour.)  The dough pretty much overflowed my mixing bowl, but it worked out just fine.

Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, flipping it over so that both sides are greased. Place in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Cinnamon raisin bread is so much easier to make than I ever thought it would be!
Cinnamon raisin bread is so much easier to make than I ever thought it would be!

Once the dough is doubled, punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle onto your counter. “Paint” the dough with two tablespoons of milk and sprinkle your cinnamon/sugar mixture over the top. (This is the step that my four year old helped me with.) Roll up the dough, and slice into three equal sized loaves. Place each loaf into a well-greased loaf pan and allow to rise for another hour.

Once your dough has risen, put your pans into a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown. They should sound hollow when you tap them. Allow them to cool on a baking rack.

Want to give someone a homemade gift for the holidays? Wouldn't this be perfect?
Want to give someone a homemade gift for the holidays? Wouldn’t this be perfect?

These loaves are delicious fresh out of the oven, and they are just as good the next day toasted with a little bit of butter. They would make great gifts for neighbors and friends for the holidays, or just because.

Delicious the next day toasted with a little bit of butter.
Delicious the next day toasted with a little bit of butter.

Happy baking!

What is your favorite recipe to make in the kitchen with kids?

Child Baking Photo credit: adwriter / Foter / CC BY-NC

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