This is no ordinary bread. Forget the fact that it’s filled with raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It’s also made with a rich, buttery “breakfast” dough. That’s right, I used the same dough for this that I used to make cinnamon buns. So you know it must be good.
Thinking of something different to make for the break-fast? Well, you can’t go wrong with this! People don’t want to eat TOO much (well, I don’t, at least) an this will be a perfect post-fast meal along with a big cup of tea.
The best way to eat it? Toasted with a little bit of butter, of course! Or just plain, but that’s the way we devoured it one lazy and rainy weekend.
Another reason why this bread is so special is because instead of just forming a loaf, and rolling the filling in the middle of the bread, I rolled it up and cut it into pieces. This made the bread look really cool after it was baked and sliced.
The original recipe called for currants, but I didn’t have any currants, I just had a lot of raisins (it really took almost the whole box of them), so I switched around the recipe just a bit. If you have currants, or want to try them, let us know how it goes!
Cinnamon-Raisin Bread, adapted from the Art and Soul of Baking
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup warm whole milk (110 t0 115 degrees)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I actually subbed half of it for whole wheat)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Make the dough: Combine the milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand. Let sit until it bubbles (5-10 minutes).
2. Add the egg and yolk and whisk by hand until blended.
3. Stir in the flour and salt with a rubber spatula. Attach the dough hook and knead on low for 2 minutes. Increase to medium and knead for another minute.
4. With the mixture running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each to blend in before adding the next.
5. Oil a tub or bowl , add dough and brush with flour. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. [The dough can be punched down and refrigerated overnight – just wrap loosely in plastic.
6. Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour and press to expel the air bubbles. Roll into a 12 x 15 inch rectangle and position so that the long side is parallel to your work surface.
7. Brush the dough with the beaten egg.
8. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the egg and spread it with your fingers into an even layer.
9. Scatter the raisins on top.
10. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder, gently tucking and tightening as you roll.
11. Pinch along the seam.
12. Using a chef’s knife, slice the cylinder into 12 pieces (okay, the original instructions told me to slice in half lengthwise first, and then crosswise into 12 pieces, but I thought this would be too messy).
13. Butter the loaf pan and arrange the pieces in the pan, making sure to put dough touching the bottom so the sugar doesn’t burn.
14. Proof the dough: cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the dough is about 1/4 inch from the top of the pan.
15. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until the center of the bread reaches 190 degrees on an instant thermometer.
16. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to rack and cool completely.
17. Slice and serve
