Recipe: Cinnamon Raisin Bread (makes 3 loaves, King Arthur Flour recipe)

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD

"This recipe is from King Arthur Flour's senior spokesman, Michael Jubinsky. It is egg-rich and will make three absolutely delicious loaves."

FOR THE FRUIT:
1 cup raisins
apple juice (or water), warmed
FOR THE SPONGE:
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
FOR THE DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
1/2 cup brown or white sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups King Arthur Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
5 to 6 cups Kind Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
FOR THE EGG WASH:
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

TO PREPARE THE FRUIT:
Cover the raisins with warm water or warmed apple juice and set aside to plump while you proceed with the following.

TO MAKE THE SPONGE:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar and flour. Stir to combine; cover and set aside until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

TO MIX THE DOUGH:
In a large bowl, combine the scalded milk, sweetener, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Stir and let cool to lukewarm. Add the beaten eggs, the sponge, and the whole wheat flour. Combine well. Drain and add the raisins. Stir in 5 to 5 1/2 cups of unbleached flour until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

KNEADING AND RISING:
Turn the dough out onto a board where you've sprinkled the remainder of the flour. Scrape the bowl and add the bits to the dough. Lightly oil the bowl and set aside.

Knead the dough, adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking to the board. When it's smooth and elastic, after about 10 minutes, place it in the oiled bowl. Turn to oil all surfaces, cover with plastic wrap and clean towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

SHAPING AND RISING:
Punch down the dough, divide in thirds, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Shape into loaves and place into greased bread pans. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

BAKING:
About 15 minutes before you want to bake your bread, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush tops of the loaves with the egg wash.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the loaves are a rich brown color. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Makes 3 loaves of bread
Source: The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook by Brinna B. Sands