Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread

Name: Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 405 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk; 2/3 cup water; 1 large egg; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2/3 cup raisins; 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast; 5 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting ); 1 large egg; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 4 tbsp unsalted butter

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Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread is an old-fashioned bread recipe studded with raisins and best served sliced and slathered in butter.

I never thought that I would have a chance to share this super tasty Easter raisin bread with you! The recipe is from Tom's grandmother and he's been making it around Easter for years, but always told me that I could never blog it. Finally he relented and I jumped at the chance!

Slices of bread, one toasted sit on a rectangle platter.

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What is Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread?
Ingredients
Instructions
Substititions, Storage and Serving Suggestions
FAQ
Recipe
Comments

Round loaf of bread sits on a wooden cutting board with a serrated knife next to it.

What is Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread?

Grandma's Easter Raisin Bread is an old-fashioned bread recipe from my husband's grandmother. Nearly all of the ingredients are added together and warmed up, before yeast is introduced to the mixture, followed by all purpose flour to create a round, raisin-stuffed loaf of bread.

This version of the raisin bread recipe is actually 1/12 of what his grandmother used to make! She had to mix the ingredients in a roasting pan because she didn't have any bowls big enough! But, the entire family was given a loaf of bread for Easter, as well as getting to enjoy it the day of.

Ingredients

milk
water
sugar
large eggs
raisins
butter
vanilla
salt
Rapid Rise yeast
all purpose flour

Instructions

First, whisk the egg. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, then set aside.

Process shot - whisked egg in a glass dish on a wooden background.

Then combine ingredients. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, beaten egg, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and raisins. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until butter is almost completely melted and the mixture reaches between 120-130 degrees F.

Process shot - combined ingredients in a saucepan.

Next, add in the yeast. Remove from the heat and whisk in the yeast, whisking for 1-2 minutes to completely combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow yeast to activate. (Mixture will not be very bubbly.)

Process shot - ingredients plus added yeast in a saucepan.

Then, add in the flour. Pour the liquid mixture into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed, adding in all purpose flour 1 cup at a time, mixing until almost fully combined before adding more.

Process shot - wet ingredients in glass stand mixer bowl, flour measured and ready to be added to mixer.

After that, knead the dough by hand. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until it is tacky. Then transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm spot to let rise for 5 hours.

Process shot - kneaded dough, topped with flour sitting on a wooden cutting board.

Rise the dough a second time. Punch down the dough, then return to the bowl, cover and let rise until doubled again, about 90 minutes.

Then divide the dough in half. Divide dough into two equally sized pieces, approximately one pound balls of dough each. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for 1 more hour.

Process shot - divided dough sitting on parchment lined baking sheet.

Next, bake the dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the egg and a splash of vanilla, brushing it over each ball of dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Process shot - dough balls brushed with egg/vanilla mixture sitting on parchment sheet.

Finally, remove from the oven. Remove bread loaves from the oven and rub butter on top of the cooked bread while it is still hot. Transfer to a baking rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Process shot - two loaves of baked easter bread cooling on wire rack.

Substititions, Storage and Serving Suggestions

Cherry flavored Craisins are a great substitition for regular raisins
Grandma also added yellow food coloring to this recipe (3 drops of gel) but it is not necessary
Once bread has completely cooled, store in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days.
Cooled and sliced bread can be wrapped in plastic, then foil and placed in a ziplock and frozen for 2-3 months
Thick slices of bread, lightly toasted and slathered in butter are the preferred way to enjoy this raisin bread, but topping it with jam or jelly works too

Slices of bread sit on a cutting board with softened butter in a small dish.

FAQ

What is Easter Raisin Bread?

Every country seems to have their own version of Easter bread made with raisins. Many are similar to a challah bread and involve braiding the dough before baking. This recipe does not require that extra step.

Do I need to soak raisins before adding to bread dough?

Soaking raisins makes them plumper and more flavorful but it is not required for this recipe.

Why is my bread chewy?

Chewy bread, vs. fluffier bread, can come from the type of flour used. It can also be caused by overworking the dough. For this recipe, once the dough is no longer sticky, it is ready for it's first rise.

Why is this bread proofed three times?

Honestly, I think Grandma just wanted a break. After two rises, nothing changes in the dough to make for better bread by allowing it to rise a third time. I haven't tried baking this after the second rise, but I believe it would be okay, simply because it barely rises again after the second rise.

More Delicious Easter Recipes:

Overhead image of one loaf of bread on the left, the other, sliced and sitting on a white rectangle platter on the right.

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