Spiced Raisin Bread
10/19/26
If you love hot cross buns but need an excuse to eat them all year round? You’ll love this bread. It’s simple but absolutely delicious when enjoyed warm, or when sliced and toasted for breakfast a few days after baking (always with plenty of butter, of course!).
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour
- 75 g caster sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 ml milk
- 12 grams dried yeast
- 40 g butter melted and cooled
- 1 small egg
- 165g raisins or sultanas (or other dried fruit of your choice)
Method
Combine the flour, sugar, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. In a small saucepan, warm the milk until lukewarm, then add the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the melted butter and egg to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Gradually add the milk, stirring until the mixture comes together into a soft doughball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, sprinkling with extra flour if needed, then place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – this should take about 2 hours.
Turn the dough out and knead briefly. Roll out to a large rectangle and sprinkle over half the dried fruit. Fold to cover the fruit and roll out again. Sprinkle with the remaining fruit, then fold and knead the fruit into the dough until fully incorporated. Shape into a smooth oval and place into a bread loaf tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise again until doubled in size – this should take 1–1.5 hours. While plain bread doesn’t take as long to rise, the heaviness of the fruit in this loaf means it needs a little more time.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan-forced). When the loaf has finished rising, bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Brush the top with a little melted butter after baking.
