Bread Machine Raisin Bread Recipes for a 2 lb Loaf

On this page (10 sections)

1. How much of each ingredient goes into a 2 lb raisin loaf?
2. How do you build the recipe in the pan?
3. Which course and crust setting suits raisin bread?
4. How do you keep raisins from sinking or getting crushed?
5. How do you make a cinnamon swirl in a bread machine?
6. Can you adapt this recipe for whole wheat flour or sourdough?
7. What causes a 2 lb raisin loaf to collapse or dome?
8. Which bread machine suits a 2 lb raisin loaf?
9. What should you do after the loaf bakes?
10. The bottom line

A bread machine raisin bread recipe for a 2 lb loaf comes down to the right ratio: about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of bread flour, 1 1/4 cups of liquid, 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and 3/4 to 1 cup of raisins, plus cinnamon and a little sugar. Set the 2 lb loaf size and a light to medium crust.

The 2 lb setting is the key. A 2 lb raisin loaf uses about 25 percent more flour than a 1.5 lb recipe, so you can't just sprinkle raisins into a smaller batch.

How much of each ingredient goes into a 2 lb raisin loaf?

Weigh or measure the flour first and build around it. A 2 lb dough should fill the pan without doming over during the final rise.

Milk gives a softer crust; water is fine if that's what you keep on hand. Use bread flour rather than all-purpose when the dough has sugar and cinnamon, because its higher protein helps the loaf hold its shape with the extra weight of raisins.

Spoon flour into the cup and level it rather than scooping packed. Packed flour can push a 2 lb loaf into a dome that touches the lid.

How do you build the recipe in the pan?

Put liquid in first, then flour, then yeast last. That order lets the paddle mix without clumping, and keeping the yeast away from the salt and cinnamon matters for a sweet loaf.

1. Pour the milk or water into the pan.
2. Add the butter, sugar and salt.
3. Spoon in the bread flour and cinnamon.
4. Make a small well in the center and add the yeast.
5. Set the loaf size to 2 lb and choose the crust shade.
6. Add raisins when the machine beeps or in the fruit dispenser.

Check the dough five to ten minutes into the first knead. If it looks dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of liquid; if it smears the sides of the pan, add a tablespoon of flour.

A 2 lb dough should gather into a soft, slightly tacky ball.

Should you add raisins early or wait for the beep?

Wait for the beep. Raisins added during the first knead get crushed and can stop the gluten from forming.

Add them when the machine signals or use the dispenser if your model has one.

The Cuisinart 12-Program 2 lb Bread Maker gives an audible beep reminder for mix-ins, and its 2 lb size option matches this recipe. Its 12 menu programs cover a Sweet course as well as a Basic one.

Toss the raisins in a spoonful of flour first. That light coating helps them stay suspended instead of sinking into the bottom crust.

Which course and crust setting suits raisin bread?

Basic or White Bread works for a plain loaf; Sweet is better for a buttery, cinnamon-swirled loaf. Sweet runs a longer rise and bake, which gives the sugar more time to soften the crumb.

A medium crust is the safe default. A light crust stays soft and suits French toast; a dark crust adds chew but can hide the cinnamon flavor.

If your machine offers a Raisin or Fruit course, use it, because that cycle delays the mix-ins for you.

The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus offers 7 programs, including a whole wheat course and a rapid course, and it bakes a 2-pound rectangular loaf. It also has a 13-hour timer for overnight bread.

Skip a rapid course if you have the time. Rapid settings cut the rise, and a 2 lb loaf with raisins and cinnamon needs that rise to keep from baking dense.

How do you keep raisins from sinking or getting crushed?

Coat the raisins and add them late. That single change fixes the two common raisin bread failures in a 2 lb loaf.

Raisins are heavy. Mixed in at the start, the dough wraps around them and the paddle can chop them into sticky bits.

Add them near the end of the second knead so the gluten has already formed its strands.

Soak very dry raisins in warm water for ten minutes and pat them dry. Plump raisins hold up better in the bake and don't pull moisture out of the dough.

If your machine has no fruit dispenser or beep, set a timer for the minute the second knead begins. Check your bread machine recipes for beginners for the cycle timings on your model.

How do you make a cinnamon swirl in a bread machine?

Bread machines can make a swirl, but you add it by hand at the pause. A basic machine can't layer cinnamon sugar into the dough on its own.

Take the dough out after the final knead, before the bake begins. Roll it flat, brush it with soft butter, scatter a mix of 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the surface, then roll it up and put it back in the pan.

Most machines pause the cycle for a set time, so check your manual for how long you have. Some machines keep rising while the pan is out, so work quickly.

A loaf without a swirl still tastes like raisin bread; the swirl just makes the cinnamon stronger.

Can you adapt this recipe for whole wheat flour or sourdough?

Yes to both, with small changes. Whole wheat absorbs more liquid, so start with the full 1 1/4 cups and add another 1 to 2 tablespoons if the dough looks stiff.

Pick the Whole Wheat course if your machine has one.

For a sourdough version, use your starter as part of the liquid and cut the commercial yeast. A bread machine sourdough method gives you the timing and how much starter to swap in for a 2 lb loaf.

Either way, keep the raisins to 3/4 cup. Whole wheat and sourdough loaves rise less than white bread, so a smaller mix-in load helps the loaf reach the top of the pan without spilling over.

What causes a 2 lb raisin loaf to collapse or dome?

Too much yeast or too much liquid is the usual cause of a collapsed loaf. A 2 lb loaf that domes over the pan and drops in the center usually has a wet dough or a long, warm rise.

Cut the yeast to 2 teaspoons and the liquid by 1 to 2 tablespoons if you see a dome forming during the rise. Sweet doughs can overproof when the kitchen is warm, so use cool milk on hot days.

A dense, flat loaf often means too much cinnamon or raisins crowding the dough. Keep cinnamon at 2 teaspoons or less and measure raisins by cup, not by handful.

Check the machine's 2 lb capacity, because pushing a 2 lb recipe into a smaller pan will overflow.

Which bread machine suits a 2 lb raisin loaf?

Any machine with a 2 lb loaf size and a mix-in beep will bake this recipe. Three current models cover the range from budget-friendly to premium.

The Cuisinart 12-Program 2 lb Bread Maker offers 12 programs, 3 crust colors and 3 loaf sizes up to 2 lb. Its LCD shows the countdown and cycle, and the keep-warm cycle holds the loaf after baking.

The nonstick vertical pan makes cleanup easier after a sticky raisin dough.

The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus bakes a 2-pound rectangular loaf with dual heaters on the bottom and lid for even browning. It has 7 courses, including a whole wheat setting and a rapid course, plus a 13-hour timer.

The rectangular pan slices neatly.

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme also bakes a 2-pound rectangular loaf. It has 10 programs, including dough and jam settings, a 13-hour timer and a quick-bake mode.

Its nonstick pan releases a raisin loaf cleanly.

All three handle a 2 lb raisin loaf. Pick the Cuisinart for the most menu options, either Zojirushi for a rectangular pan and even browning.

Our bread machine pizza dough recipe shows how the same dough setting works for other breads.

What should you do after the loaf bakes?

Take the loaf out as soon as the bake ends and cool it on a rack. Leaving it in the pan on keep-warm dries the crust and can make the bottom soggy from trapped steam.

Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. A hot raisin loaf crumbles and the swirl smears.

Slice the rest and freeze what you won't eat in 2 days.

Store the loaf in a sealed bag at room temperature. Skip the fridge, which dries bread out faster than the freezer.

The bottom line

A 2 lb bread machine raisin bread recipe is mostly about the ratio: 4 cups of bread flour, 1 1/4 cups of liquid, 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, cinnamon to taste and 3/4 cup of raisins, added after the first knead. Pick the Basic or Sweet course, set the 2 lb size and a medium crust.

If your machine has a 2 lb setting and a mix-in beep, you're set. Choose the Cuisinart for the widest menu, or either Zojirushi for a rectangular pan and steady browning.

Start with one loaf and adjust the liquid by a tablespoon at a time, because flour and kitchen humidity change the dough more than any recipe line does.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my raisins sink to the bottom?

Raisins sink when they're added before the gluten structure has formed. Add them when the machine beeps or in the fruit dispenser, and dust them in flour first so they stay suspended.

Which course should I pick for raisin bread?

Choose Basic or White Bread for a plain raisin loaf and Sweet or Raisin for a sweet, buttery dough. Both give a light to medium crust on most machines, and Sweet holds a longer rise for a softer crumb.

Can I use a 1.5 lb loaf setting for a 2 lb recipe?

No. The 2 lb pan size changes both the knead time and the bake time, so a 2 lb recipe on a 1.5 lb setting can overflow the pan or bake unevenly.

Scale the recipe down by about a quarter instead.

How long does raisin bread keep?

It keeps 2 to 3 days in a sealed bag at room temperature and 2 to 3 months in the freezer, sliced. Reheat a slice in the toaster or microwave briefly to bring the cinnamon back.

How much cinnamon should I add?

Keep the cinnamon to 1 to 2 teaspoons for a 2 lb loaf. More than that can slow yeast growth and turn the loaf dense, so spoon it in with the flour rather than the yeast.