Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
 
 
Ingredients
  • (note I cut the recipe in half because I only had one loaf pan and also zero need for two loaves of cinnamon raisin bread)
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (which is a half a packet - this took some time to figure out...)
  • 1 cup warm milk (I did I minute but its a mixed bag really)
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup raisins (Martha say's less but I couldn't resist)
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • vegetable oil to grease the bowl and plastic wrap (or if your ghetto like me a large plastic bag because I keep forgetting to get plastic wrap at the grocery store)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. the dough: whisk the warm milk and the yeast together in a large bowl. Then add all of the other dough ingredients and blend with an electric mixture until all of the ingredients look well combined (about 3 minutes) and then continue to blend until the dough forms a uniform ball (or something like it) so about 6 or so minutes more - I realized that using a hand held mixer for this actually sucks. It just isn't the same. Unfortunately I don't have 400 hunded plus to blow on a swanky kitchenaid though so I just had to make do!
  2. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and gradually need in the raisins and cinnamon until they are combined and well distributed. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap (or, in my case, a plastic bag) and leave in a warm place for about an hour. THIS IS WHERE IT DOUBLES IN SIZE. so exciting. my favorite part. (I like the microwave, if it hasn't been used recently. probably cause papa bear bruns puts it there)
  3. This part I'm just gonna tell you exactly what Martha says, cause I have no idea if I actually did this part correctly...."Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and pat into a round. Fold in the following manner: Fold the bottom third of the dough up, the top third down, and the right and left sides over, tapping the dough after each fold to release excess flour, and pressing down to seal. Return the dough to the bowl, seam side down.
  4. Return the dough to that flour work area (which I have actually yet to clean. sorry Courtney) and roll it out into a large rectangle. (i'm not gonna get into measurements cause honestly, who's counting?) Fold 2 sides of the rectangle about an inch deep. Cover the dough with a light layer of the egg wash (I didn't have a pastry brush so guess what? I used my hand) Then sprankle the cinnamon sugar blend all over.
  5. Roll the dough into a log and press in the sides so that it fits nicely into your loaf pan, making to to liberally cover the pan in vegetable oil so the loaf actually comes out once it has been baked! (mines sooo crappy. its an investment clearly and I didn't make it.)
  6. Then let it rise again! (and don't forget to cover it in plastic) During this time you can begin to preheat your oven to 425.
  7. FINALLY you can pop that sucker in the oven and let it bake for 20 minutes. Then loosely cover it in tin foil and rotate the pan so it bakes evenly and the top doesn't burn.
  8. When the bread is finished let it sit for a while before slicing in. (but apparently you don't have to wait for this particular bread. however I've been told to never do that with bread so I decided to wait it out)
Recipe by A Sue Chef at http://www.asuechef.com/cinnamon-raisin-swirl-bread/