This raisin challah bread is soft, airy, and each strand is filled with warm cinnamon sugar and plump raisins before it gets braided and twisted into a round loaf.
If you love homemade challah, you will also want to try my Honey Challah Bread, Pumpkin Challah Bread, and Red Beet Challah.
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Jump To
- Why a Round Braid
- Some tips on how to make the best cinnamon raisin challah bread
- What to do with leftover cinnamon raisin round challah bread?
- Some other wonderful challah breads I think you'll enjoy:
- Ingredients
- Recipe Tips
- What to Do With Leftover Raisin Challah
- More Challah Recipes to Try
- Raisin Challah Bread with Cinnamon Sugar
This recipe came back into my rotation because a reader named Arlee, who I met through the blog and now follow on Instagram, tagged me in a photo of her baking my original cinnamon raisin challah.
Seeing her version inspired me to make it again, and this time I braided it and twisted the braid into a round loaf instead of the usual long shape. It was worth every bit of the extra effort.
Why a Round Braid
A traditional long braided challah is beautiful on its own, and if you would rather keep it simple, my original long braided version works exactly the same way. But twisting the braid into a round loaf and baking it in a springform pan gives you a stunning centerpiece bread, and it holds the cinnamon sugar swirl in every slice just as well. Either shape works with this same dough and filling.
Each strand is filled with some fantastic goodness: cinnamon sugar and plenty of raisins...oh, yes! Can I tell you? There is nothing like freshly baked bread!
I may have left my dough to proof a bit long. But, no fear...this dough was so easy to work with!
When the dough is ready, divide into three portions. Use your scale to weigh and make sure they are exact weight.
After you portion out the dough, roll each one into long strands. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture on each strand and sprinkle on the raisins.
Next step is to pinch the sides and ends of the ropes together. There were some that were sneaking open and some butter making its way out. I persevered!
Once you have the long strands formed into ropes filled with the cinnamon-sugar and raisins, you braid into a loaf (for this bread, I did one large loaf).
There was no way I would give up on this bread. You dedicate so many hours to making it with the high hopes of soon having the most heavenly smell come out of the oven.
I thought it best to carefully lift it into a 9-inch spring form pan (I did spray it with baking spray). The bread was braided on top of parchment paper. I ripped the paper around the sides and left it only right underneath the form of the bread (a circle of parchment paper with a little overhang for me to carefully lift).
Some tips on how to make the best cinnamon raisin challah bread
- Be sure to take the time to let your yeast bloom. No rush. Take your time.
- Also take your time and letting the dough come to the first rise.
- When you form your loaf, make sure you let it take the time to rise.
- The dough is really enough to do 2 breads. If you'd like to make 2, use 2 round spring form pans (or a 9 inch cake pan). I lowered the temperature after 30 minutes because it wasn't quite done in the middle. I kept on baking for about another 30 minutes on 325.
- Check your bread because you don't want it to get too brown. If you aren't as daring as me and want to try to braid and then twist into a round shape,keep it as a long braided cinnamon raisin challah.
What to do with leftover cinnamon raisin round challah bread?
French toast! Yes, this makes killer French toast!! Trust me, it's worth making it to just have the French toast!
Some other wonderful challah breads I think you'll enjoy:
- Red Beet Challah
- Pumpkin Challah Bread
- Chocolate Chip Challah Bread
- Honey Challah Bread
- Poppy Seed Challah
Ingredients
Dough:
- Active dry yeast
- Warm water - no more than 110°F; hotter water kills the yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Bread flour or all-purpose flour - bread flour gives a slightly chewier, more structured crumb; all-purpose works fine and is what most people have on hand
- Eggs
- Neutral oil - canola, peanut, or corn oil all work
- Salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
- Ground cinnamon
- Granulated sugar
- Raisins - use ½ to 1 cup depending on how raisin-forward you want it
- Melted butter - brushed onto each strand before the filling goes on
Egg Wash:
- Egg
- Sugar
Recipe Tips
- Do not rush the yeast. Let it fully bloom before moving on. This is the step most likely to go wrong if hurried, and it affects how well the whole loaf rises.
- Give the first rise real time. A full, unhurried rise is what makes the crumb light and airy rather than dense.
- Weigh your dough portions. A kitchen scale keeps the 3 strands even, which means an even braid and even baking.
- Watch the browning. Ovens vary. If the top is getting too dark before the inside is done, tent with foil rather than pulling it early.
- One loaf or two. This dough makes enough for one large round loaf or two smaller ones using two springform pans (or 9-inch cake pans). Two loaves bake in about 45 minutes total; one large loaf needs closer to an hour with a temperature drop partway through.
- Prefer a classic shape? This same dough and filling works as a traditional long braided loaf if you would rather skip the round twist. Braid and bake it straight on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead of a springform pan.
What to Do With Leftover Raisin Challah
Make French toast. The cinnamon and raisins already baked into the bread mean you barely need to add anything else, and it makes some of the best French toast you will have. Leftover challah is also excellent lightly toasted with butter, or torn into a bread pudding.
More Challah Recipes to Try
- Honey Challah Bread
- Pumpkin Challah Bread
- Red Beet Challah
- Poppy Seed Challah
- Chocolate Chip Challah Bread
If you make this bread, leave a rating and let me know if you tried the round shape or the classic braid. I love hearing from you!
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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Raisin Challah Bread with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
DOUGH
FILLING
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ to 1 cup raisins according to taste
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast.
- Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute.
- Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined. Add another 2 cups of the flour, oil, and salt.
- Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the rest of the flour (the remaining 3 cups) and mix until combined. If using AP flour it's about 6 cups (about 750 grams) of flour. If you use bread flour, it's about 5 cups (about 680 grams) of flour. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour.
- Mix on low speed for 12 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don't want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
- Take dough out of mixer bowl. Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl and I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil. I use vegetable oil).
- Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about1-1 ½ hours).
- Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
- Shape each portion into a ball, and allow it to rest with plastic wrap on it for 5-10 minutes.
- Cover 3 of the dough balls and let them rest. Roll 3 of the dough balls into long piece and then flatten to form a rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar filling.
- Top with raisins.Pinch together to form 3 filled strands.
- Carefully move the 3 filled strands onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Braid the strands together to form a loaf. Carefully twist the braid around into a round loaf.
- Rip the parchment paper around the sides of the loaf and leave a little to be able to lift the bread up. Lift up the loaf, and place into a spring form pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.
- Repeat process with the other 3 dough balls.
- Cover and let rise in a draft free place for about 30 minutes (I let mine rise for just about 15).
- While resting, preheat oven to 350 F.
- When ready to bake, brush with egg wash.
- If making one large loaf, bake the challah for 30 minutes (on 350 F).
- Lower the heat to 325 F and bake for about another 25-30 minutes.
- If making two round loaves, the bread may be done in about 45 minutes.
- You still could lower the heat after the first 30 minutes.
- The bread should be golden brown.
- Ovens may vary so check your challah see how it's doing. If the top is browning too much, cover with foil for remainder of baking time.
- Let it cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- This dough makes 2 round loaves, or can be shaped into 1 large round loaf with a longer bake time.
- Prefer a classic shape? Braid the strands and bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan instead of a springform pan.
- Leftover challah makes exceptional French toast.
- Store: Wrapped tightly at room temperature 2 to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
I want to use my bread machine. Do I follow these instructions.
Hi Paula-I never made it in a bread machine, but if you can find instructions on how to do it in one, see how it goes!
What a lovely looking bread! I am eager to make it. However when I read through the instructions I add up 7 cups of flour (1 + 2 + 4) but the list of ingredients max at 5 or 6 depending on flour type. Could you please clarify? Or would you be able to provide a weight measurement? Thank you.
Hi Carmen-If you use AP Flour it's about 750 Grams (about 6 cups). If you use bread flour, it's about 680 grams (about 5 cups). Hope that helps. Happy Baking!! XX