This recipe is so amazing. Seriously. I love cinnamon raisin bread, but buying it from the store is too expensive! I estimate this recipe to cost somewhere between .60-.75 per loaf, depending on how good the sales were when you bought your ingredients. I halve the recipe and make 1 large loaf, the amounts I listed below will make 2 large loaves or 3 small ones. Also, these pictures are from two different loaves. In one, I realized I had ran out of raisins, so I used Craisins instead. We almost liked it more!
I got the original recipe here and have only made minor modifications. I use a KitchenAid mixer 
to mix and knead my bread, so I'll give directions using that method. You can mix and knead by hand, just know that it takes longer.
to mix and knead my bread, so I'll give directions using that method. You can mix and knead by hand, just know that it takes longer. 
If you like light, fluffy bread like you can buy at the store, then I highly recommend buying Dough Enhancer. You can buy it at just about any grocery store, however it's cheapest at Winco. Dough Enhancer works by combining whey and soy lecithin to soften and condition the dough. It also helps to strengthen the elasticity of the dough and increase the shelf life of the finished product. Overall, it improves the texture, taste, and dough strength of all your baked goods and I no longer make bread without it!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast {2 packets}
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup margarine, softened
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 rounded tablespoons of Dough Enhancer
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm. {I just heat mine until lukewarm in the microwave!}
Dissolve yeast in warm water, and set aside until yeast is frothy. Mix in eggs, sugar, butter or margarine, salt, cinnamon and raisins. Stir in cooled milk. Add the flour gradually until dough cleans the side of the bowl, but is still a bit sticky. {I usually have a circle about an inch across on the bottom of my mixer where the dough still clings to the bowl.}
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl, and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled. My kitchen is usually too cool to have the dough rise on the counter, so I turn the oven on for about 30 seconds, turn it off and let the dough rise in there.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Moisten dough with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the moistened dough. Roll up tightly; the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Pinch the seams as best you can. Cut into thirds, and tuck ends under each loaf. Place loaves into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans. Let rise again for 1 hour.
. I have used it so many times and just love it. The bread never sticks and it shapes it so it more easily fits in the toaster- which is especially important for this loaf!
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then place a piece of foil over the top. Don't worry about tucking the edges under or anything, you're just preventing the top from browning too much, so just lay it over the top. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter or margarine. Let cool before slicing.
Enjoy!
