Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

Cinnamon-Swirl Raisin Bread
Source: Victoria Magazine, January 1994
Yield: 2 loaves

DOUGH
1/4 cup warm water (110f)
1 pinch sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups warm milk (110f)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Dough:
Butter 2 9x5x3" loaf pans. Butter a 4 quart bowl. In a small bowl, combine warm water and pinch sugar. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture. Let stand until yeast dissolves and bubbles. While yeast is dissolving, in a large mixing bowl combine 3 tbsp sugar, butter and salt. Pour in warm milk. Stir until butter almost melts.

Stir in 3 cups flour and dissolved yeast. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir raisins into batter. Stir in enough of remaining flour with a wooden spoon until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to keep dough from sticking. Place dough in buttered bowl, turning once to butter surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. Turn out on a floured board. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Filling:
While dough rests, in a small bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.

Assembly:
Roll half dough to a 12x8" rectangle. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon filling. Press filling into dough as much as possible. Roll up tightly, jelly-roll fashion, starting at the short side. Pinch dough together at seam. Pinch ends to seal and fold under loaf. Arrange seam-side down in loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes, tenting loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking time, if necessary to prevent over browning. Remove loaves from oven. Remove from pans. Cool loaves on racks.