I recently bought a bread machine and have been experimenting with different recipes. I am still playing around to find the perfect whole-wheat sandwich loaf, but in the meantime I hit the jackpot with this cinnamon raisin loaf. The first time I made 
this bread the entire loaf (pictured) was gone in just under 24 hours. And no, we did not have any house guests…it was just my family of four chowing down like it was our jobs. At one point I had to cut the children off mainly because I wanted my loaf to last us longer than a day!
I finally made more though and have been using it to make sandwiches – with organic cream cheese in the middle – for my daughters’ snacks at school. They even love this bread enough for it to serve as a “dessert” after dinner. If you don’t have a bread machine I think it’s worth the investment since it’s nearly impossible to find decent whole-wheat bread at a typical grocery store. I bought a Panasonic machine that was recommended by several friends, but I’ve also heard from readers who found a machine they love from their local Goodwill store. The only complaint I have about my machine is that I wish I didn’t have to wait an hour or two for it to beep before adding the raisins (since you don’t put them in with the rest of the ingredients). Other than that though I’ve been very happy with it! If you have a machine that you love please tell us about it in the comments below.
Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread (for Bread Machine)
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water, warmed (I heat it in glass measuring cup in microwave for 1 minute)
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
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Follow your bread machine’s directions for making a whole-wheat raisin loaf.
I like to take my bread out 10 minutes before the standard end time for a lighter crust.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Every time I make this it is better than the time before! What I learned by reading the bread makers book is that liquids always first put try ingredients next…create a hollow for the yeast and make sure it does not touch the salt. I read that while making this loaf so will try next time as I was putting it in as it was written. But I also stopped 10 minutes before and that was perfect! Much better than cooking till the end
Breadmakers are all different – the Panasonic calls for the yeast first, then flour, sugar, butter, salt and water on the very top, where it remains during the resting cycle.
Can I use the timer for this recipe, so that I prep it the night before and wake up to fresh baked bread? Or will the water not be hot enough during the mixing cycle?
Hi there. I’m sorry, we have not tried that.
That should be fine. The reason to use warm water with w/w flour is so that the bran softens and the dough rises properly. If anything it will improve the bread. The only thing is if the yeast gets wet, it will start to divide and might not work properly. Not sure how you’d prevent that.
You should be able to do this with the Panasonic and other bread makers – none of the Panasonic recipes for my machine call for warm water, as the yeast is put in first in the bottom of the pan and the liquid is added last.
I love this bread, I have made maybe 8 loaves so far, trying to get it just how I like it (adding walnuts, sultanas instead of raisins etc).
But is anyone making it successfully with only 1/2 teaspoon of salt? This is a lot less than other recipes and it leaves me with a loaf that has sunk in the middle. I have adjusted this to 1.5 teaspoons.
Unfortunately, reducing the salt will cause the loaf to collapse. I’ve tried that too, with the same result. From the Weekend Bakery website, “…salt plays a role in tightening the gluten structure and adding strength to your dough. It helps the loaf to hold on to the carbon dioxide gas that is formed during fermentation, supporting good volume. Salt slows down fermentation and enzyme activity in dough.” https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/salt-in-bread-baking-how-much-and-why/
What is the cost to make a loaf of this bread? Great Harvest is charging $5.50 a loaf now. Im assuming it is much cheaper to make at home. And bread makers arent all that expensive.
Hi. I guesstimate at under $2 a loaf.
i do not have a setting for whole wheat Raisin bread…should I use whole wheat setting and guess when I should put in raisins… or should I use the “Sweet” setting which has a bell that sounds when you put raisins in….but this setting is for white bread…
Totally Confused….
Hello. Use the setting for the sweet bread and follow your machine’s directions.
You should also wait for a bit (30 minutes or so) after adding ingredients to let the flour get wet and soften. Normally the w/w setting includes a wait time at the beginning for that purpose,
I’ve made this a dozen times overnight, including raisins on top with yeast in a small well on top of flour. I’m too cheap and use sugar instead of honey but it works really well. Use fresh yeast for a good rise. I put everything in cold, we live in a trailer that is just frigid in the mornings and the bread doesn’t have trouble rising. Maybe the machine has a warming function for proofing the dough? Great recipe.
You guessed right – many bread machines have a gentle warming during the raising process, just enough to activate the ingredients.
My loaf didn’t rise and the raisins didn’t mix in, they were all just stuck on the bottom. I used the whole wheat setting and waited to add the raisins until it beeped, about 30 or so minutes in. Followed bread machine’s instructions for ingredient order, liquids first with the well for yeast at the top. I’ve got to be doing something(s) wrong since there are so many positive comments. Any tips?
Hi. All machines are a little different but it sounds like you did what you were supposed to. This might help: http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/beginners/troubleshooting-chart.php or https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/bread-machine-basics.html.
I always put all ingredients into the pan in the bread machine including the nuts (if I add them) and raisins. and it all turns out fine. I don’t know how this would work using the delay cycle, as the raisins have a lot of sugar in them. That may activate the yeast prematurely and cause the bread to not raise.
Hi Sara, the first time I added the raisins at the beginning of the cycle, on top of the flour, but sadly the blade naturally macerated the raisins during the kneading process, and I came out with a loaf that was overproofed, heavy and the colour of pumpernickel bread. If the raisins are added during the last minutes of kneading, little sugar is released, thereby not upsetting the chemical reaction between the yeast, the flour and sugar.
I have 3 loaf SIZE settings… 1, 1 1/2 & 2 LBS. to bake properly, I need the size that your loaf creates. Could you please let me know? Thank you :)
Hi. Yes, 2lbs. :)
Can I use a replacement for coconut oil, if so what can be used?
We commonly replace coconut oil with butter.
Do you measure the coconut oil as a liquid or solid?
Hi. This will help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/.
Is this recipe for a 1.5 lb loaf?
What oil can you use instead of coconut oil?
Hi there. You can sub with butter.
Wow – this is now my all-time favorite bread machine recipe! It came out so soft and moist and not in the least bit heavy like some whole wheat breads can be. I’m guessing it’s the coconut oil that makes it so yummy and moist. I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. I set my bread machine for a 1.5 lb loaf based on the amount of flour in the recipe, but it actually filled the pan to the 2 lb capacity. I had to let the loaf cool longer than most before cutting it, because the loaf was so soft and I was afraid it would squash if I cut it too soon, but it was definitely worth the wait. A new family favorite!!