Place raisins in a small bowl and pour boiling water over raisins. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
Combine warm water with yeast. Let sit until foamy or about 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, vital wheat gluten, cinnamon, and raisins.
To the yeast mixture, add in the olive oil and honey.
Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and turn on to low speed.
Add in the liquids and allow the mixer to bring to incorporate the ingredients. (Or mix by hand with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Knead on low speed for 5-8 minutes, or by hand until the dough soft and pliable.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let double in size--anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
Grease a 2-pound loaf pan (or two 1-pound loaf pans) generously with oil, butter, or coconut oil.
Punch down the dough and shape the dough into a loaf shape. Place the shaped dough into the prepared loaf pan and cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes or until the inside of the bread registers 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Remove bread from the oven and cool in loaf pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Bread Machine
Start by pouring the water into the pan fitted into the bread machine.
Measure the oil first and then the honey (this makes the honey slip out of the measuring cup) and add to water.
Add in half the flour, then top with salt, cinnamon, and vital wheat gluten if using. Top with remaining flour.
Make a small well in the flour and put yeast into that well.
Set to manufacturer's instructions.
Once the bread machine signals that it is time to add in ingredients (typically it will beep after the first initial rise--about 30 minutes into the cycle), add in raisins.
Allow the bread machine to finish it's cycle, then immediately remove from the loaf pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
This yields a 2-pound loaf of Cinnamon Raisin Bread.
Store at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate or freeze as whole wheat bread will grow mold quickly.
Be sure your water is not too hot (over 115 degrees), as that can kill the yeast.
Be sure your yeast and flour are fresh. Expired yeast will not allow the bread to rise correctly and old flour will leave an unpleasant after taste.
Measure flour by placing spoonfuls of flour into a measuring cup versus filling from bag or container, this will drastically change the amount of flour.
This recipe works with all-purpose, whole wheat, and whole white wheat flour. Baking at high altitude? Check out these adjustments that you may need to follow.