The basic recipe for Dutch Oven No Knead Bread has consistently been Bowl of Delicious’s most popular recipe for years now, and for good reason! My super detailed, fast, easy, and hands-off approach yields an amazing result every time. You all have been asking for variations on the basic recipe for a while now, so here you are! I’m wicked excited about this cinnamon raisin version of my crusty artisan no knead bread recipe. In this recipe, the raisins are rehydrated with warm water before adding to the dough, making them more plump and moist. Any raisins on the surface of the bread won’t dry out with baking. The dough also has a little sugar in it, making it slightly sweet but not too sweet (with the option of adding more sugar if you wish). I also added a little more flour than my original basic no knead bread recipe to account for the added moisture from the raisins and to give the bread more structure with the extra ingredients. You’ll love smelling this warm, aromatic bread as it bakes in the oven. It’s perfect for breakfast as toast, as a snack slathered in butter, or even used for French toast!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Yeast – I use active dry yeast. You can use instant or rapid rise, keeping in mind that it may take a shorter time to rise to double the volume, so keep an eye on it! Warm water – heated to 100 – 110 degrees F. The temperature is very important in order to activate the yeast but not kill it. Sugar – This sweetens the bread and also gives the yeast a head-start, since they love to eat sugar and multiply like crazy! Raisins – you can use regular or golden. You can also use another dried fruit of a similar size, like cranberries, or chopped figs or dates, or a mix if you like. More on variations of flavors below. Cinnamon All-purpose flour – I exclusively use King Arthur brand. Other brands may yield different results. You can use bread flour and/or part whole wheat flour if you like but you may need to add a little more water (more on this below). Fine grain salt – I use fine grain sea salt. But any fine grain salt will do.
How to make cinnamon raisin no knead bread in a Dutch oven
1. Proof the yeast and rehydrate the raisins.
First, mix the yeast with some warm water and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, at which point the yeast will have fed on the sugar and multiplied, resulting in a foamy surface and about double the volume. (Note: if the mixture does not do this, then your yeast is dead or the water was too hot, and you should get another batch of yeast or try again.) Meanwhile, soak the raisins in warm water and allow them to sit for about the same amount of time, allowing them to rehydrate and plump up.
2. Mix the dough and allow to rise.
Then, add the cinnamon, salt, soaked raisins plus the water they soaked in, and flour to the yeast and water mixture. Mix thoroughly for at least a minute, using the standing mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon. If you can go longer, with a standing mixer or if you want a great arm workout, please do. This will yield a stronger dough as the gluten develops more with more vigorous and lengthy mixing. Gather the dough in the same bowl or transfer to another bowl to the bottom, scraping down the sides to form a cohesive shape. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise, preferably in a warm place (see below for tips on this) until doubled in size, for about 2 hours. At this point, if you like, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 7 days and bake when you are ready. A cold dough has some benefits, as it is easier to shape and form, and the longer the dough sits the more developed in flavor it will be. Or, you can bake immediately!
3. Shape and score the dough
Transfer the dough GENTLY to a floured surface, either the counter or parchment paper, and shape the dough into a round or oval loaf shape. There are many different ways to shape dough, so you can do what you’re comfortable with. If you’re a beginner, my no knead basic bread recipe goes over an easy hands-off approach using parchment paper and a spatula to shape it. The biggest thing here is not to handle the dough too much or too vigorously. If you smush it around too much, the air pockets will deflate, and you want as many air pockets as possible to create a high, fluffy loaf. Once it’s shaped, place it into the center of a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and score the top with a very sharp knife or razor blade or lame, if you have one.
4. Bake and cool the loaf
Finally, place the loaf in your Dutch oven, along with the parchment paper. You can just grab the sides of the parchment paper to easily transfer the loaf in. Cover and bake, then uncover and bake for a little while longer for a browned crust. And now the hardest part: transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour for best results. If you slice into it too soon without cooling, it may have a gummy texture. You can do it! It’s worth waiting for this no knead cinnamon raisin bread!
Optional steps
Tip: the type and brand of flour is important!
I almost exclusively use King Arthur all-purpose flour for this no knead cinnamon raisin bread recipe. That brand is extremely reliable in its consistency and quality, especially when it comes to gluten (protein) content. Gluten is important for forming dough strength in this kind of bread. If there isn’t enough gluten, the dough may not hold together as well (it may be runny or too sticky to shape) and the loaf may not bake up as tall/fluffy. I’ve had readers make my basic no knead bread with other brands such as Pillsbury with poor results.
Can I use bread flour or whole wheat flour for this no knead bread?
Both bread flour and whole wheat flour tend to be “thirstier” than all-purpose flour. This means you may have to add a little extra water to the dough. For whole wheat flour, I recommend only substituting 1 cup of the white flour for whole wheat. Whole wheat flour is very dense and lower in gluten, and can be very difficult to bake with especially for beginner bakers.
Other flavor variations
If you want to mix up the flavors of this no knead bread, here are some that will work that are similar to cinnamon raisin!
Cranberry orange: omit the cinnamon, substitute the raisins for cranberries, and add the zest of an orange to the dough mix. Fig and rosemary: omit the cinnamon, chop up dried figs as a substitute for the raisins, and add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary to the dough. Mixed fruit and nut: use cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough, and use a combination of different dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, etc.) along with about a half a cup of chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds in the dough.
Other homemade bread recipes
Aside from the OG no knead basic bread recipe this cinnamon raisin bread is derived from, here are some of my other favorite homemade bread recipes!
Boston Brown Bread Olive Oil Banana Bread Olive Oil Zucchini Bread Quick and Easy Dinner Rolls
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