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    Home » Food

    German Rosinenbrot (Raisin Bread) 

    Published on April 12, 2017 ᛫ Updated on April 18, 2019 by Chef Markus Mueller

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    vertical pinterest image of german raisin bread (rosinenbrot) sliced and displayed on a wood cutting board

    If you've been following along with my weekly recipe posts you may have noticed I occasionally share traditional German recipes such as these Spaetzle Noodles or this Zwiebel Kuchen. This week and just in time for Easter, I have another super delicious German recipe for you. Rosinenbrot or Raisin Bread is a traditional style of bread baked for and served on Easter Sunday. Raisins at one point used to be quite expensive and a treat to be enjoyed on special occasions. That makes their inclusion in this Easter bread the perfect treat after lent when families would fast or give up sweets.

    Jump to Recipe

    Growing up my father always baked bread at home. I can only recall my parents buying bread such as baguettes for family gatherings, special occasions etc. Usually, he would make a Sourdough Multigrain Bread or a Dark Rye bread, so when Easter came along my brothers and I would eagerly await the fresh loaves of soft and fluffy raisin bread. Once in a while, he would also bake a variety of Brötchen (breakfast rolls) for Sunday breakfast but the Rosinenbrot had its special place at the table studded with bursts of sweetness.

    German Rosinenbrot (or Raisin Bread), on a blue and white checkered cloth

    Some of the links in this post lead to affiliate sites through which Earth, Food, and Fire may earn a small commission (at no increased cost to you) should you make a purchase. This allows us to stay online and keep creating awesome content! For more info check the Affiliate Disclaimer.

    The recipe I am sharing today is not actually my own and has been adapted from the book Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss from The Wednesday Chef. The instructions and pictures below are my own. I hope you enjoy this loaf of bread as much as I do, and don't forget to check out Luisa's book for more German Baking Recipes!

    German Rosinenbrot Recipe

    You'll need: 

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 3 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 2 teaspoon instant yeast)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup milk - slightly warmed
    • 5 tablespoon soft butter
    • 1 egg
    • ½ cup raisins

    Almond Topping: (optional)

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon milk
    • ¼ cup sliced almonds
    Related:  Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs (With Homemade Easter Egg Dye)

    Instructions

    1. Start by warming your milk in a pot on the stove, and activate the active dry yeast by dissolving it in the warm milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Make sure the milk is not HOT as it will kill the yeast.
    2. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix and add the yeast/milk mixture. (If using instant yeast simply mix it into the flour in this step and do not activate it as you do the active dry yeast.)
      Properly mixing the Rosinenbrot dough is easy!
    3. Add the butter and egg to the liquid mixture and then using a wooden spoon start stirring in the flour from the sides until you have created one tacky ball of dough.
      Knead the mixed Raisin Bread dough until it's soft and smooth.
    4. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter, and knead the ball of dough for at least 15 minutes until it is super smooth, very soft and supple. Form a round ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean dishcloth and let it rise in a warm area of your kitchen, (such as on top of the pre-heated stove) for 1 hour or until double in size.
      Let the dough rise for about an hour after kneading it to create a fluffy ball of dough.
    5. Once the dough has risen, loosen it from the bowl and return it to the counter top. You shouldn't need much more flour to keep it from sticking to the surface. Flatten the dough and sprinkle the raisins on top. Fold the dough over on itself twice, and then start kneading it until the raisins are completely incorporated. If a few "fall" out its ok, either stick them back in or just set them aside.
      After letting the dough rise, knead in the raisins!
    6. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into rolls 16 inches long and about an inch in diameter. Braid the three strands of dough into one big braid. If you have never braided anything before it is very simple! Start by collecting the ends of all three strands at one end and pressing them together to connect them. Have the loose ends pointing towards you with each roll laying side by side. Then simply start by moving the outside roll over the middle one, and so on and so forth until you have braided the whole loaf. Tuck the ends of the loaf under to hide any loose sections.
      Braid the Rosinenbrot dough into one loaf.
    7. Transfer the braided loaf to the parchment lined sheet pan and again cover with the dish cloth. Let the loaf rise for another 20 minutes.
    8. At this point pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
    9. Once the dough is nice and fluffy, brush the loaf with the topping mixture of egg yolk and milk. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. You can also sprinkle coarse sugar over the Rosinenbrot if you like.
      Brush the proofed loaf of Raisin Bread with eggwash and sprinkle woth sliced almonds for a really fancy treat!
    10. Bake the loaf for 20 to 30 minutes until it is nice and golden brown.

    Let the Rosinenbrot cool on a wire rack before slicing.

    While obviously best served fresh the same day, for most people this is not realistic for breakfast unless you get up at five in the morning to bake. Once cooled store the Rosinenbrot in a brown paper bag or bread box if you have it and serve as soon as possible. If all else fails, use plastic wrap to avoid it from drying out.

    vertical image of a sliced loaf of german rosinenbrot (raisin bread) displayed on a wood cutting board

    Tried the recipe? Rate the Recipe below, and take a picture and tag me on Facebook & Instagram: @earthfoodandfire . For more from scratch recipes follow me on Instagram & Pinterest

    sliced german rosinenbrot (raisin bread) displayed on a wooden cutting board, and surrounded by ingredients and a cookbook

    German Rosinenbrot (Raisin Bread) 

    Chef Markus Mueller
    A deliciously soft and fluffy Raisin Bread (Rosinenbrot) from Luisa Weiss' "Classic German Baking". The perfect loaf of bread to serve for breakfast on Easter or other special occasions.
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Bread
    Cuisine German
    Servings 1 Loaf
    Calories 3183.7 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 3 teaspoon active dry yeast or 2 teaspoon instant yeast
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup milk - slightly warmed
    • 5 tablespoon butter melted
    • 1 whole egg
    • ½ cup raisins

    Almond Topping

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon milk
    • ¼ cup sliced almonds

    Instructions
     

    • Start by warming the milk in a pot on the stove until luke warm. Add in the active dry yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate.
    • In a large stainless steel bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. If using instant yeast simply mix it into the flour and skip the above step. Pour the warm milk/yeast mix into the flour well.
    • Add the butter and egg to the liquid mixture and using a wooden spoon stir in the flour from all sides until you have created a ball of dough.
    • Sprinkle a little flour on the counter, and knead the ball of dough for at least 15 minutes until it is super smooth, and supple. Form a round ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean dishcloth and let it rise in a warm area of your kitchen for 1 hour or until double in size.
    • Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten the dough on the counter and sprinkle the raisins on top. Fold over the dough and knead in the raisins.
    • Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into rolls 16 inches long. Braid the three strands of dough into one big braid. Tuck the ends of the loaf under to hide any loose sections.
    • Transfer the braided dough to the parchment lined sheet pan, cover and let the loaf rise for another 20 minutes.
    • Pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
    • Once the loaf has doubled in size, brush it with the topping mixture of egg yolk and milk. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
    • Bake the loaf for 20 to 30 minutes until it is nice and golden brown. Let the Rosinenbrot cool on a wire rack before slicing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3183.7kcal

    Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

    Keyword german bread recipes, raisin bread,
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Some of the links in this post lead to affiliate sites through which Earth, Food, and Fire may earn a small commission (at no increased cost to you) should you make a purchase. This allows us to stay online and keep creating awesome content! For more info check the Affiliate Disclaimer.  All recipes, and opinions are 100% my own.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Heidi

      October 20, 2021 at 3:15 pm

      Hi Chef Markus, Your recipe for German Rosinenbrot looks delicious and might try to making it. Just wanted to know is the butter "salted or unsalted?"

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        October 24, 2021 at 1:58 pm

        Hi Heidi, the butter is unsalted. Baking generally use unsalted butter, as the recipes will otherwise potentially turn out to salty!
        I will add it to my list of things to update!
        Happy baking!

        Reply
    2. Bonnie

      May 03, 2021 at 8:51 am

      Can you use a bread machine.

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        May 10, 2021 at 6:40 am

        Hi Bonnie, I have never used a bread machine in my life, so I can not answer that. I would guess you could play around and adapt the recipe to work in whatever process a bread machine uses. I can not guarantee results though.

        Reply
    3. Hilda

      March 20, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      Hi Markus,
      Hi,

      I just wanted to let you know that I added this raisin bread recipe to my Easter Roundup. Here is the link if you would like to comment, pin, or share the post.

      Also, I tried contacting you via the form but the form is not working, thought you might want to know!

      https://hildaskitchenblog.com/recipe/35-tasty-easter-recipe-ideas/

      Have a great weekend!

      Hilda Sterner
      https://hildaskitchenblog.com

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        March 24, 2021 at 10:56 am

        Thanks for including our recipe Hilda! Of course we will share your roundup. Which form isn't working?

        Reply
    4. Gail Russom

      August 29, 2020 at 10:09 am

      5 stars
      It was delicious, thank you!

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        September 09, 2020 at 8:16 am

        Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    5. Keri

      April 26, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Made this this morning and it was perfect. Super easy to prepare with a light tasty result. Thank you for sharing ?this will be made on a regular basis in our home.

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        April 28, 2020 at 10:29 am

        You're very welcome Keri! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. If you took a picture tag us on social media! (@earthfoodandfire)

        Reply
    6. Manal

      February 17, 2020 at 12:24 am

      I make something similar to this i put nutella or dates inside instead of the raisins it’s so good but i will definitely give your recipe a try

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        February 17, 2020 at 1:26 pm

        Oh that sounds delicious! I'll have to try that!

        Reply
    7. Maria T. W.

      September 02, 2019 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      I also grew up enjoying fresh homemade bread baked by my mom. O so good!
      For a long time I simply did not make any bread. Browsing through pinterest I found this recipe. I have made it at least 5 times. It's the best! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        September 04, 2019 at 7:37 am

        Hi Maria, I'm so happy that you love this recipe, I also make it even outside of the Easter holiday! Thanks for commenting and your 5 star rating!

        Reply
    8. Ursula EMMONS

      June 06, 2019 at 11:30 am

      I added a little lemon zest

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        June 07, 2019 at 4:54 am

        What a good idea! I'm sure it was delicious!

        Reply
    9. erika vilchez

      March 22, 2019 at 6:39 pm

      INSTEAD OF KNEEDING BY HAND CAN IT BE DONE BY MACHINE

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        March 23, 2019 at 6:22 am

        Hi Erika, yes instead of kneading the dough by hand you can mix and knead the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook such as a kitchen aid mixer.

        Reply
    10. Monica

      March 08, 2019 at 7:12 pm

      4 stars
      Really the preheat information should be listed after the last rising. There's no point in having the oven heating up for over an hour. This came out good, it's just an odd way to write up a recipe.

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        March 10, 2019 at 4:38 am

        Hi Monica, That is a very good point, I will make the adjustment to make the recipe more user friendly!

        Reply
    11. Brittney

      December 22, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      My dough wasn’t wet enough, I guess? I’ve never been good at making bread. I used instant yeast. When I was kneading it, within minutes it just seemed too dry.
      Do you have a YouTube video on doing this?

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        December 23, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        Hi Brittney, Im sorry to here you are having trouble with the recipe. I don't currently have a video for it, but I will work on one and let you know when its up. If you have a picture you can tag me on social media (@earthfoodandfire) or message me on facebook (facebook.com/earthfoodandfire) and I can help you trouble shoot.

        When using instant yeast you simply add it into the flour before adding the liquid. Then you would add the milk, egg, and butter.You would continue to mix the dough and then knead and let the dough rise as normal.

        Reply
    12. minhchau

      December 01, 2018 at 3:12 am

      Thanks for your sharing. I'm going to make this bread.

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        December 01, 2018 at 7:20 am

        You're very welcome! I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    13. Shanee

      November 30, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      Can this be froze to use later?

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        December 01, 2017 at 6:36 pm

        Hi Shanee, it can be frozen through it may not be quite as soft after freezing/thawing. I would suggest wrapping it really well in seran wrap and then in a ziploc bag to freeze( to keep it from freezer burning and drying out) and then when you go to thaw it let it thaw completely in the wrap so it retains all original moisture. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    14. ann marie whitten ( Murray)

      June 11, 2017 at 8:51 am

      Oh I cant wait to attempt this recipe today!

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        June 11, 2017 at 1:13 pm

        It's so good! Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    15. Annika

      April 12, 2017 at 12:17 pm

      I make a very similar bread only without the egg... I will have to give yours a try! Love all the step-by-step photos here.

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        April 15, 2017 at 9:07 pm

        I'd love to see pictures of the bread you make! I hope the pictures make the instructions clear! I highly recommend Classic German Baking though, a great book food with many delicious recipes!

        Reply

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