Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This was a special request from Cole earlier this summer, and I finally got around to making it. It turned out so much better than I anticipated, and it was a breeze to make. Just like the sweet bread I made not too long ago, the hardest part of making this was all the waiting around for the dough to proof! It sliced like a dream, and had the beautiful cinnamon swirl right through the center of each slice, highlighted by dots of raisins throughout. We ended up making French toast with it when we were nearing the end of our loaf and it was sheer perfection!

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Servings: 1x 10-inch loaf

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 2 hr 5 min

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough...

• 1 cup milk

• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (dry)

• 6 Tbsp melted butter

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cup flour (plus more for dusting)

• Pinch of salt

• 1/3 cup raisins

For the cinnamon filling...

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

• 3 Tbsp melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, gently combine milk, brown sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until the mixture gets foamy.

2. With the mixer on low with a hook attachment, add the eggs, then the melted butter.

3. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the mixure combines to form a dough that starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

4. Add the raisins, then knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the dough hook, spray the top of the dough with non stick cooking spray, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an hour (or at least doubled in size).

6. Lightly flour your countertop, then spread and roll out the dough into a rectangle that's about 18 inches long, and 9 inches wide.

7. Make the cinnamon filling by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Spread this mixture all over the top of the dough rectangle.

8. Roll the dough up as tightly as you can starting from the short side.

9. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and place the loaf seam side down in the pan. If you don't have a loaf pan, you can use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat - it just won't look as uniform. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let rise again for another 30 minutes.

10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, then bake the bread for 35-45 minutes. let the bread cool before slicing. Enjoy!