Raisin Cinnamon Bread

I love bread. Most any bread. But definitely sweet yummy cinnamon and raisin bread. I don't eat it often, but I've enjoyed it every time I've had the opportunity to have it, so I decided to search for a recipe to try making it myself. I found a couple of recipes on Pinterest, and decided to try this one: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread, with a few adaptations, of course. I added more raisins and doubled the cinnamon and sugar mixture. I also replaced the water that adheres the sugar mixture with butter for a richer flavor. Finally, I added a glaze at the end. I think it would be even better with a thicker icing, so I will try that next time. But even so, it was really, really good!

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 package dry instant yeast)
2 1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons and 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, divided
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 loaf pans, greased

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees), the yeast, and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Let it stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you’ll have to discard it and start over with new yeast).

Stir in the remaining 1 3/4 cups warm water. Add 2 Tbsp sugar, salt, 2 Tbsp of melted butter, 3 1/2 cups of the flour, and the raisins. Mix until smooth (either by hand or a stand mixer). Begin adding the remaining 3 cups of flour until the dough is easy to handle (not too sticky but still moist).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, roll it around so all the dough is coated, and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp of cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix well.

Punch down the dough, divide it in half, and roll out each half on a lightly floured surface, so that each half measures about 16 x 8 inches. You may need to roll, let the dough rest, and roll again so you get the right size. (You can obviously roll one at a time). Brush each with melted butter and spread about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.

Roll the dough from the short end and pinch the seams shut. You should have an 8-inch long rolled up piece of dough. Place each loaf into a greased loaf pan. Brush the top of each loaf with about 1/2 Tbsp of melted butter. Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the loaves have a dark, golden-brown top. Remove the loaves from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool.

I went a step further and added a glaze to the bread. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to 2-3 cups of powdered sugar. Once bread has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the loaves.