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Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread
5 from 88 votes

Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread

This Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Brioche Bread is a rich yeasted loaf combining flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast, and plump raisins with butter, milk, eggs, and water. A cinnamon-sugar swirl adds warmth and sweetness inside the soft, buttery bread. The dough is prepared, rested at room temperature, then refrigerated overnight to develop flavor before baking the next day.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
resting time
9 hrs
Total Time
9 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 40 slices
Calories: 90 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the bread:
  • 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • 1 ½ cups raisins
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons, hot, tap
For the cinnamon-sugar swirl:
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
For the egg wash:
  • 1 egg large, yolk
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • butter soft, for greasing pans

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir well then add the raisins. Run your fingers through the mixture to break up any clumps of raisins. Make a well in the center of the flour/raisin mixture. Set aside.
  2. Melt butter in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high power, until just melted. Remove from microwave and add the ¼ cup of milk. Stir with a fork then add the egg and egg yolk and stir again until well mixed.
  3. Add the milk mixture to the well in the center of the flour. Add the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water to the well then stir to combine using a sturdy spatula. (Scrape the edges of the bowl as you stir, bringing the dry mixture to the center and rotating the bowl as you go.) If it’s hard to incorporate all of the flour, add one additional tablespoon of water.
  4. When all of the flour is well incorporated, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for one hour then place in refrigerator overnight, 6-12 hours.
  5. Generously butter four 3x6-inch loaf pans and set aside. (Alternatively, you could use two 8x5-inch loaf pans.) Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
  6. Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the work surface. Turn several times with a bench scraper or spatula until the dough is coated with flour. Using a bench scraper or spatula, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Turn each piece in the flour to lightly coat all of the surfaces. Add a bit more flour to the work surface if the dough is sticky.
  7. Take one piece of the dough and flatten it out with your hands into a rectangle shape. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger rectangle approximately 6x10 inches with the short side facing you. Brush the rectangle lightly with milk or cream to coat the surface. Sprinkle with a rounded tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  8. Starting with the short side, roll the rectangle up tightly, then pinch the seam together tightly to seal. Tuck the ends under and again, pinch to seal. Shape with your hands to form an oval loaf. Place the loaf into one of the prepared pans.
  9. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and let the bread rise again in a warm place until the loaves look like they’ve doubled in size, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (see the note above in Café Tips about creating a warm rising place.)
  10. When the loaves are close to being doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350˚F (remove the pans first if using the oven as a rising place for the unbaked loaves). Prepare the egg wash by vigorously whisking together one large egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Set aside.
  11. Bake the loaves for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and brush each loaf over the top surface with the egg wash. Try to be careful not to let the wash drip down the sides of the loaves into the pan. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon raw or turbinado sugar.
  12. Return to the bread to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Check it after 10 minutes. If it's getting too brown on the top, cover it with foil for the last 3-5 minutes. (Larger loaves will take longer.) Remove bread from pans by gently inverting onto a cooling rack. (If bread is stuck to the side of the pan anywhere (from the egg wash), loosen it gently with a small thin-bladed knife.) Turn loaves right side up and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • If you lack instant yeast, proof 2¼ teaspoons of active yeast in hot water with a pinch of sugar until foamy before adding it to the dough.
  • Rest the dough at room temperature to start fermentation, then refrigerate overnight to develop flavor and improve texture.
  • The cinnamon-sugar swirl adds a warming spicy sweetness that complements the buttery raisins.
  • Egg wash before baking yields a nicely browned and shiny crust.

Nutrition Information

Calories 90kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 17mg (6%) Sodium 131mg (5%) Potassium 63mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 56IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 9mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 40 slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 90

% Daily Value*

Calories 90kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 131mg 5%
Potassium 63mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 56IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.