Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I have not baked breads in months but this past week, I've managed to bake four loaves. Just for the heck of it, I made cinnamon raisin bread. Super hit in this house with my men. They inhaled it...all in one day.

I have the big Kitchen-Aid mixer so I can make two loaves but the recipe below is for one loaf.



Cinnamon Raisin Bread


Bread
3 cups bread flour
2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp SAF instant yeast
2 TBSP Nonfat dry milk
1 TBSP butter or canola oil
1 egg
1 cup very warm (hot as a hottub) water

Filling
2 TBSP cinnamon
2-4 TBSP butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients in a Kitchen Aid mixer with hook. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic. Scrap down dough and spray inside of bowl with PAM. Cover for 1 hour in draft-free area.

Punch this dough down and roll out into a rectangle with the short side only as wide as your loaf length (9").

Spread butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar (sometimes I'm a little too liberal with this) and raisins. Roll up the dough from the short end and place in greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Cover with a towel and allow to double in size (~45 minutes).

Once doubled, place loaf in oven. Turn oven on to 350F. Once the temperature reaches 350F, set your timer for 30 minutes. NOTE: I place the loaf in the oven before turning it on so it has time to rise slowly as the temperature slowly increases. When I do it this way, the insides get done while the outside is just golden and not burnt.

Take it out carefully after about 2 minutes and allow to cool enough to get your serrated knife and a tub of butter and have at it. If there is any leftover, it makes really good french toast the next day.