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    Home » Breads & Baked Goods » Yeast Bread and Rolls

    Honey-Sweetened Raisin Bread in the Bread Machine

    Published: Mar 13, 2014 · Modified: Dec 17, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    This bread machine raisin bread is lightly sweetened with honey, and made with whole wheat flour. It’s a wholesome, nourishing snack and easy for kids to make!

    slicing a loaf of Raisin Bread

    As you know by now, we’re working to eliminate “added sugars” this month. It’s an experiment to teach my kids about what’s in their food and hopefully direct them in a different direction in terms of what they choose to eat and what they end up preferring. (You can read along with our sugar fasting experiment here.)

    Certainly there are plenty of “sugars” naturally occurring in grains, milk, and fruits, but we’re trying to avoid the “extras”. It’s been going okay. I can’t tell you how THRILLED I am when I find a processed food that is safe. Needless to say I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

    One thing that helps in that department is enlisting the aide of my children, in this case, my oldest daughter, aka FishChick7. Last week we made several loaves of bread in the bread machine as I go through the process of training her to use the machine on her own. I figure that it’s not any more complicated or dangerous than an Easy Bake Oven, and a lot more practical. You know how I love my bread machine.

    hand written recipe for raising bread hung up on fridge

    Ingredients for this bread machine raisin bread

    We’ve adapted a raisin bread recipe from Beth Hensperger’s Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook. It’s one of my favorite resources for bread baking. We obviously changed the sweetener, used all whole wheat flour, and switched up the oil, because honestly, I don’t think canola is all it was cracked up to be a few years ago. I use sunflower oil instead.

    • raisins 
    • milk (or water)
    • egg
    • oil
    • honey
    • whole wheat flour
    • gluten
    • cinnamon
    • salt
    • yeast

    Note: this is not an overly sweet bread. So, if you’re used to very sweet breads, you may be a bit surprised.

    girl staring into bread machine

    How to make this bread machine raisin bread

    After her first batch of bread, she wrote out the recipe. I can’t tell you how AMAZED I am at that! That recipe, my friends is a keepsake!

    This bread has turned out to be a great afternoon snack for my people. It takes about 3 hours from start to finish which means it’s done just about the time we’re done with school. The kids spread butter on the warm, honey-sweetened bread and it makes for a great snack. Leftovers are good toasted and buttered for breakfast.

    Once she gets the ingredients in the pan, my girl loves to watch it need the dough. It’s pretty fun, actually.

    I often use the bread machine just for making the dough and then switch it to a regular pan for baking in the oven. But, I want my girl to feel a sense of independence in tackling this on her own. We tested this recipe with milk as well as water. The water-based recipe rose higher and did not sink as bread machine loaves are apt to do. Go figure. Your mileage may vary.

    Here is a breakdown of how to make this bread machine raisin bread:

    Hydrate the raisins – Place the raisins in a small bowl and add hot water to cover. Allow them to stand for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside.
    Make the bread dough – Combine all of the ingredients in your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Program the machine for the sweet and light settings and start the machine.
    Add the raisins– When the machine beeps for “add-ins” add the raisins. You may need to use a rubber spatula to help them incorporate into the dough. Not all machines handle this part really well. Some raisins will be left on the bottom of the pan if you don’t help them out.
    Allow the bread to cool – When the baking cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing.

    slice of raisin bread on a plate

    Some of my favorite bread machine recipes include:

    • 5-Ingredient Italian Sandwich Rolls
    • Wholesome Energy Bars
    • Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
    • Garlic Focaccia
    • Whole Grain Cinnamon Rolls
    • Easy Garlic Breadsticks
    • Hot Cross Buns
    • Pumpkin Onion Rolls
    • Hot Dog Buns
    • Pita Bread

    How to make this good and cheap:

    You know I don’t typically want to make something if I can’t make it good as well as cheap. Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

    • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and honey can help keep the price down. 
    • Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy small bags of flour. I also have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill or VitaCost so that I always have baking supplies on hand.

    How I make this recipe easy:

    This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

    Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

    • stainless steel mixing bowls
    • glass measuring cup
    • Oster Bread Machine  – I love Bread Machine , it’s seriously one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten!
    slicing a loaf of Raisin Bread
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    5 from 1 vote

    Honey-Sweetened Raisin Bread in the Bread Machine

    This bread machine raisin bread is lightly sweetened with honey, and made with whole wheat flour. It’s a wholesome, nourishing snack and easy for kids to make!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time2 hrs 50 mins
    Total Time3 hrs
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 196kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $3
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    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raisins
    • 1 cup milk or water
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tablespoon neutral oil
    • 2 tablespoon honey
    • 3 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Place the raisins in a small bowl and add hot water to cover. Allow them to stand for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside.
    • Combine all of the ingredients in your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Program the machine for the sweet and light settings and start the machine.
    • When the machine beeps for "add-ins" add the raisins. You may need to use a rubber spatula to help them incorporate into the dough. Not all machines handle this part really well. Some raisins will be left on the bottom of the pan if you don't help them out.
    • When the baking cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing.

    Notes

    Note: you can, of course, prepare the dough by hand and bake it in a traditional loaf pan in the oven at 350, for 30 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when knocked on the bottom. I haven't baked it this way, so I'm not absolutely positive on the baking time.
    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 12 slices (makes one loaf). Store in airtight container promptly and use within 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag Me Today!Mention @goodcheapeatsblog or tag #goodcheapeats!

    Note: you can, of course, prepare the dough by hand and bake it in a traditional loaf pan in the oven at 350, for 30 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when knocked on the bottom. I haven’t baked it this way, so I’m not absolutely positive on the baking time.

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    Comments

    1. kelly d

      March 17, 2014 at 5:24 am

      hey jess, looks yummy..was wondering if you can help me out..i am trying to find an oil to bake with..getting away from canola..and was excited to see you using sunflower oil..but then i read that sunflower oil should be avoided because it is refined..help!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 24, 2014 at 3:06 pm

        You know, I don’t really know. Oils are confusing to me. I don’t do canola at all anymore. And unfortunately the “pure” olive oil I got at Costco, says it’s part refined. I’m not sure quite honestly.

        Reply
        • Meg

          October 06, 2014 at 6:50 am

          Have you tried avocado oil? I don’t know its status re: refined/unrefined, but I love to use it for just about anything.

    2. Mary G

      March 14, 2014 at 10:39 am

      That sound really good. Do you think this would work okay if I just ran it through the dough cycle of my machine? My bread machine makes great dough but just so-so bread.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 14, 2014 at 8:36 pm

        That’s what I normally do for bread. I’m just not positive on the baking time. I allotted 30 to 50 minutes above, but I could be off.

        Reply
    3. Nikki

      March 14, 2014 at 5:31 am

      I was also wondering about the gluten…….can we leave that out? You say we could do this recipe without a bread machine (mine packed up recently and we can’t replace it) how long do you think i’d need to knead it for? thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 14, 2014 at 8:46 pm

        The gluten is nice to have, but you can leave it out. I’d knead until you have a smooth elastic dough. But, keep in mind, I haven’t made it that way, so I can’t promise anything. It “should” follow standard guidelines.

        Reply
    4. Carrie Roer

      March 14, 2014 at 4:17 am

      This recipe sounds delicious! What does the tablespoon of gluten accomplish? I have all the other ingredients on hand.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 14, 2014 at 8:35 pm

        Added gluten helps to develop the sponginess in the bread. You can leave it out if you want.

        Reply

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