Foolproof Rum Raisin Bread

This super easy rum raisin bread makes the most epic toast you've ever had. Toss everything into the bread machine and let it do all the work.

As soon as the weather starts to chill, the bread machine comes out of hiding. For most of the cold weather months, our family loves to eat homemade soup from the Instant Pot or slowcooker along with a loaf of fresh bread from our bread machine.

To keep things interesting, I've sampled a ton of different recipes to mix and match as we eat our way through the winter. When I spotted this rum raisin bread recipe in my ancient bread machine cookbook, I had to give it a try. 

Tim is obsessed with rum raisin bread pudding. Somehow I thought this would be like the rum raisin bread pudding but in a sliceable loaf. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that wasn't a far-off guess! You can definitely taste the rum in each slice. There are just enough raisins to keep it interesting but not so many that they overpower the bread.

The bread is delicious warm right out of the machine, holds it's shape really well when you slice it, and tastes amazing with a little pat of butter. The bread is hearty and thick and holds up so well if you're the kind of person who likes to dunk their bread in their chili or soup.

But the very best part of the recipe?? Leftovers made into toast the next morning!! The toast is crispy on the outside while still soft on the inside. 

Easy Bread Machine Recipe

Most bread machines instruct you to add all the wet ingredients into the pan first. You top them with the dry ingredients and add the yeast right at the end.

You should always consult your own machine's manual, but I've included the instructions for how we made our bread.

Step 1: Add the Wet Ingredients First

Add the sour cream, water, egg, rum, vanilla, and the butter to the bread machine pan.

Add the flour and sugar right on top of the wet ingredients. You don't need to mix anything together.

Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients

I've heard that salt can kill active yeast in bread. When I researched that, it appears that salt doesn't kill the yeast but it does slow it down from working it's magic during the rise. For that reason, I've always tried to keep the salt and yeast separate from one another when adding them to the pan.

I sprinkle the salt around the perimeter of the flour and then dig a small well in the center of the flour. I add the yeast to the well. They will mix and mingle once the bread machine starts mixing, but this helps the yeast get coated by flour before touching the salt.

Step 3: Start the bread machine

Use the basic white setting on your bread machine. Don't forget to select the proper loaf size setting, too. I've included ingredient quantities for both a 1 ½-pound loaf and a 2-pound loaf of bread.

Step 4: Add the Raisins

You actually keep the raisins out of the pan at the start. I didn't forget them, promise! Our machine has a special alarm that sounds when it is time to add the mix-ins like raisins or nuts. I just lift the lid and dump them into the pan. 

If your machine doesn't have that kind of setting, wait to add the raisins until the first knead has completed.

I love this rum raisin bread for the entire winter season but it would make an especially fun element to your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal plan. You could serve it alongside your main dish, have a loaf ready for epic toast on Christmas morning, or start your New Year with a fun and simple brunch of toast and eggs.

📖 Recipe

Rum Raisin Bread

5 from 2 votes

This epic rum raisin bread is the perfect bread machine recipe for beginners. Just dump the ingredients in and let the machine do the work. Then sit back and enjoy the most amazing toast you've ever had.

TOTAL TIME 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

PREP TIME 5 minutes minutes

COOK TIME 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

YIELD 1 loaf

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

FOR A 2-POUND LOAF:

• ⅔ cup sour cream
• ½ cup water
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup dark or light rum
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups bread flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ⅔ cup dark raisins NOT LIGHT

Instructions

• For a 2-pound loaf, your pan must have a capacity of 12 cups or more. For a 1 ½-pound loaf, the pan needs a capacity of 10 cups or more. See the ingredient adjustments in the notes for a 1 ½-pound bread.
• Most bread machines want you to add the wet ingredients before the dry. Please consult your machine's manual and follow their preferred instructions.
• Our machine requires us to add the sour cream, water, egg, rum, butter, and vanilla first. Then add the flour, and sugar on top.
• Keep the salt and yeast separate in the pan. Sprinkle the salt around the perimeter of the flour, then use a spoon to pat a small well in the middle of the flour to add the yeast into. (See photos in post for clarification.) This will help with the bread rising, salt interacting with the yeast directly will slow it down.
• Select the basic white bread cycle on your machine and the proper size loaf setting.
• The raisins will be added in after the machine has kneaded the dough. Our machine has an alarm that sounds when it is time to add the "extras" like nuts or raisins. If your machine doesn't, add the raisins after the first knead cycle.

Recipe Notes

ADJUSTMENTS FOR A 1 ½ POUND LOAF:

½ cup sour cream
⅓ cup water
1 egg
3 tablespoon dark or light rum
2 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
½ cup dark raisins (NOT LIGHT)

COURSEBread Machine

CUISINEAmerican

AUTHORTiffany Dahle

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