Oatmeal Raisin Bread - Bread Machine

Set this loaf going before bed and you’ll wake up to a kitchen smelling like a cinnamon-spiked bakery. The bread machine handles the kneading and rising, leaving you with a whole-grain sandwich loaf that’s a step up from store-bought sliced.

The mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour gives this loaf its structure without going dense. A spoonful of vital wheat gluten helps the whole-wheat portion rise tall instead of squat. Honey replaces the usual white sugar, which keeps the crumb moist for days and adds a soft floral note that cinnamon and raisins love.

Watch the first knead through the window. If the paddle is straining or the dough looks shaggy and dry, dribble in another tablespoon of warm water. Whole wheat flour soaks up more moisture than white flour, and humidity in your kitchen plays a role too.

Pro Tips

• Add raisins and nuts at the fruit-and-nut beep, not at the start. The full kneading cycle pulverizes them into mush.
• Use the sweet bread cycle. Honey and raisins darken the crust quickly, and the sweet cycle uses lower temperatures to prevent burning.
• Tent a piece of foil over the top during the last 10 minutes if the crust is browning too fast.
• Lightly toss the raisins in a teaspoon of flour before adding. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.

Variations

• Swap the tablespoon of oil for unsweetened applesauce to drop fat and add a subtle apple note.
• Use chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, or skip nuts entirely for a smoother slice.
• Stir in a tablespoon of orange zest with the dry ingredients for a bright citrus lift.