National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day

Bread has been around since the beginning of civilizations, and the addition of various ingredients helped form cinnamon raisin bread as a tasty treat for people to enjoy. But what made this bread so special and popular? If you want to know how cinnamon-raisin bread day started, then read more here to learn about its history and how you can make your very own special kind of raisin bread to celebrate this national holiday.

History of National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day

Cinnamon-raisin bread has a long history in the making. Its predecessors include stollen, a German fruit bread with spices and candied fruits, kulich, a tall Easter bread served in the Russian and Slavic regions, and panettone, a tall raisin-filled fruit cake made in Italy. All of these fruit bread is served during the Christmas season and since then it has spread to places such as England and helped the idea of a raisin-filled cinnamon bread grow in popularity. Soon it became a house staple in parts of England and the colonies, and as it spread, made its way into American homes as a staple part of people’s breakfast.

However, one big rumor has since changed the origins of this sweet and delightful bread, all thanks to Henry David Thoreau. It is believed that the rumor started by Concord housewives because they were delighted by Thoreau’s antics. This rumor was perpetuated by a 1943 article in the Ladies Home Journal, that deemed the culinary invention as Thoreau’s. This, however, was later disproved by Biographer Walter Harding, who corrected the rumor in the Thoreau Society Bulletin and stated that raisin bread, or plum cake at the time, occurred during the Elizabethan era.

How to Celebrate National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day

Here’s an awesome recipe you can follow to make your own raisin bread to celebrate this awesome holiday. In a large bowl, dissolve two packets of yeast in two cups of warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup of canola oil, two teaspoons of salt, two eggs, and 4 cups flour to the water once the yeast is activated. Beat until smooth and until it becomes dough.

Then knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place or until doubled about 1 hour. Then punch the dough down. Split the dough in half and knead 1/2 cup raisins into each. Once you make a loaf out of the pieces of dough, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle the mixture on top of the dough.

If you want to try and get fancy with it, roll up the dough and pinch it at the seams. Place, seam side down, in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise one more time until doubled, about 30 minutes. When you’re ready, preheat oven to 375°. Brush with oil. Bake 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. If you like this recipe, then share this holiday on your favorite social media websites using the hashtag #cinnamonraisinbreadday.