Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Dan's parents are coming to town and staying with us a couple of nights. When I was visiting them over Christmas in NFLD, they always had homemade cinnamon raisin bread on hand and it was the best treat. I always toasted it with peanut butter. Yum. Anyways, because I know they both enjoy cinnamon raisin bread, I thought I would return the favour and bake them some. Here's a recipe adapted slightly from the the kitchn. It makes two loaves. 

Here's what you'll need for the bread:

1 cup raisins

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 cup milk (I used 1% but any kind will work)

1/4 salted butter, melted

1/2 tsp salt

5 1/2 cups Bread Flour (AP Flour will also work)

Here's what you'll need for the filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 egg

Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with hot water for 8-10 minutes. This functions to make the raisins soft and plump. Drain and set aside.

Put 1 cup of warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle yeast over top. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir to dissolve the remaining yeast. Also, just a little tip here: If you want, you can use the water from soaking the raisins; it will add extra flavour in your loaves. This is what I did. 

Stir the milk, melted butter, and salt into the water and yeast mixture. Now, gradually add the 5 1/2 cups of flour. As I mentioned, you can use bread flour or AP flour; it really doesn't make a difference with this bread. 

Using dough hook, knead dough in a stand mixer on low speed for 8-10 minutes or alternatively if you're stand mixer is broken like mine, knead by hand for 8-10 minutes. Muscles. The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky. If you find it's too sticky, add some extra flour halfway through the kneading process. 

Toss the raisins with a few tablespoons of flour so absorb any moisture from the soaking. If using a stand mixer, gradually add them until they are evenly distributed. If kneading by hand, pat the dough into an oval shape on your countertop. Sprinkle half of the raisins on top of the oval and fold like a letter. Repeat this step once more. So, form oval, sprinkle remaining raisins, fold like a letter. Knead the dough for a few more minutes until the raisins are evenly distributed (this took about 4 minutes for me). 

Rub the inside of a large bowl with oil and place the ball of bread dough inside. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This will take about 1 hour. 

In the meantime, combine the sugar and cinnamon filling in a small bowl, and beat the egg in a separate small bowl. 

Divide the dough into two pieces, so that you can work with one piece at a time. Roll the dough out on the counter. It should be slightly less wide than your bread baking pan and as long as you can make it. The thinner the dough, the more layers of cinnamon deliciousness you'll end up with. Brush the entire surface of the dough with the egg wash, leaving about 2 inches at the top. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough. Starting at the end closest to you, roll up the dough. When you get to the top, pinch the seam closed; also, pinch the seams on the side of the dough closed. Place the loaf seam side down in a greased bread pan. Repeat these steps with the other piece of dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cover the loaves with a tea towel and let them rise one more time, until they are slightly mounded over the top of the bread pan. This will take 30-40 minutes.  

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. When you tap on the loaves, they should sound hollow. Remove the loaves from the bread pans and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. 

Enjoy with a nice slab of butter! :)