Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Who's afraid of the big, bad yeast monster? Nope, not me! I LOVE yeast breads! If you've been thinking of experimenting with yeast, this is the bread to make. This bread is fluffy, soft, and delicious. It would make amazing french toast and it's already great toasted with butter. If you like bread pudding it might make some rocking good bread pudding also. Me? not a fan of bread pudding, I'm sorry if you were hoping to see a recipe for it. Hopefully you will find delicious treats to fill your bread pudding void though. :)

So, this bread is packed full of cinnamon in the dough and in the filling, yum! It looks like I've been on a cinnamon kick but promise I haven't. Although...I do love cinnamon. Do you remember those ornaments made with cinnamon and applesauce (or dare I say, Elmer's glue)? I loved making those. I made them a few years ago and attached them to some baked goods I made for co-workers, they seemed to really like them :) and they smell nice for years it seems. 

This bread won't last years of course, gosh let's hope not. In my experience I don't expect it to last three days. We are actually going to make french toast with it so I will let you know how that goes. 

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¾ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 ¾ - 3 cups bread flour

- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in the warm water, let sit until foamy, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the milk and egg until well blended.
2. Stir in the sugar, salt, melted butter, and cinnamon. Add 1 cup of the flour and beat until the batter is smooth.
3. In a mixer with a dough hook or by hand stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a smooth, soft dough. Mix on low speed of a mixer about 4 minutes (or knead by hand 7-8 minutes) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticking to the sides of the bowl.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl lightly covered with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down.
5. Grease an 8 ½” x 4” loaf pan. Roll out dough to about ¼” thick making sure not to roll it wider than the length of the pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the 1 tablespoon of butter on the dough, reserving a little for the top of the loaf.

6. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins, press raisins lightly into dough. Roll up dough from end to end lengthwise. Place dough in greased loaf pan. Brush with remaining melted butter.
7. Cover pan lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake loaf for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
9. Remove from oven. Let cool on wire rack about 10 minutes. Invert loaf onto wire rack, let cool completely. 

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