Settling into a new country has been busier than I expected, and getting a place to feel like home again takes time. With Easter approaching, I wanted to share one of my favorite comfort recipes: a rustic raisin bread that brings back childhood memories and works beautifully for breakfast, brunch, or anytime you crave something slightly sweet and warmly spiced.
This raisin bread is straightforward, though it requires some prep time. The most important preparatory step is soaking the raisins. I prefer soaking them overnight in plain water, but you can soak them in rum, apple juice, or another liquid for extra flavor. Overnight soaking plumps the raisins and keeps them juicy in the final loaf.
Once the raisins have absorbed liquid and swelled, roughly chop the walnuts. With those two tasks done, the remaining work is making the dough. Expect the dough to be sticky because of the soaked fruit and the hydrated yeast. As you knead, you may need to add extra flour, a spoon at a time, to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface. The photos show how the dough looks during the process and after the first rise.
After the dough has risen—about an hour—turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a rectangle roughly a thumb’s thickness. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over the dough and add a small amount of cardamom for depth; cardamom is potent, so use it sparingly so the cinnamon remains the star.
Roll the dough from one side to the other, tuck the ends underneath, and shape it to fit your chosen baking vessel. I bake mine in a Dutch oven because it gives the loaf an impressive shape and crust, but a standard loaf tin works well too.
While baking the loaf, it will rise again in the oven. Bake time ranges from about 25 to 35 minutes at a high temperature—longer baking produces a darker, crispier crust. When the bread is done, remove it from the baking form promptly and transfer it to a cooling rack so steam can escape. Leaving the loaf in the pan will trap moisture and make the crust soggy.
Once the loaf has cooled, slice with a good bread knife. This raisin bread is delicious with vegan butter, peanut butter, or a fruit jelly such as elderberry. It’s not just for holidays—enjoy it all year long for a comforting, flavorful treat.
Rustic Raisin Bread
The Greedy Vegan
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 300 ml water lukewarm
- 3 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 150 g raisins brown
- 75 g cranberries dried
- 75 g raisins golden
- 100 g walnuts chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom
Instructions
-
Stir the yeast into 300ml lukewarm water and let it rest for about 5 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy.
-
Mix 500g flour, salt, chopped walnuts and the soaked raisins until the raisins are coated in flour.
-
Make a well in the bowl and pour in the water and yeast mixture.
-
Stir gently with a spoon or spatula until a sticky dough forms.
-
Knead for 5–10 minutes, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
-
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
-
After an hour the dough should have noticeably increased in volume.
-
Dust your surface with flour and knead briefly. Roll the dough into a rectangle about a thumb thick, then sprinkle with cinnamon and a little cardamom.
-
Roll the dough up from one side, tuck the ends underneath, and shape it to fit your chosen baking vessel.
-
Grease your baking form lightly with oil, place the shaped dough inside, and cover again with a damp cloth.
-
Allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) and bake 25–35 minutes, depending on how dark you want the crust.
Nutrition