Cinnamonth continues with this recipephany for cinnamon-lover’s bread. With a swirl that leans toward gooey, it’s a warm morning greeting when toasted, and a fun twist with peanut butter and jam.
If you’re like me and enjoy stirring up mounds of cinnamon and sugar to create a spice cloud you can inhale while you bake, this is for you. Just thinking about it gives me a tingling in my sinuses.
When my daughter Claire gave me the recipe she got from Allrecipes, she said, “Use TONS of cinnamon.” She reasoned that if you’re in this for the cinnamon—and it is “cinnamon bread” after all—then the more you can taste the better the bread will be. The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons, and I have tripled that and added a little more sugar.
The concept of “too much cinnamon” eludes me, but I found that too thick a layer could cause the swirl to separate from the dough. Nevertheless, I’m always trying to push the envelope and hope you do the same.
Claire also told me to roll it thin to make a tight swirl. I’m still working on that.
This makes three lofty loaves with the ease of making one. So you can give one away, devour one and stash one in the freezer.
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Makes 3 large loaves using 9″x5″ pans
Dough:
- 8 cups flour (all-purpose or bread)
- 4 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk (can use nonfat)
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
- 1 cup raisins
Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Butter or margarine to rub over outside of warm bread
- Put 4 cups of flour, yeast, ½ cup sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer and blend. Add eggs, softened margarine, 1½ cups milk and 1 cup water at room temperature. (Do not warm these because they will heat up.) Whir or beat until smooth.
- Add the rest of the flour by the cup and process until the dough moves away from the side of the bowl. It should take about three minutes in the food processor, or a little longer with the mixer, and the dough will still be stringy and sticky. Add raisins and mix to combine.
- Dust in just enough flour to make the dough easy to remove from the bowl and put it onto a lightly floured surface. Collect dough into a ball and divide in half. Place each half in a large oiled bowl, and cover each with plastic wrap. Let rise about an hour, or until double in bulk.
- Combine dough from both bowls and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 27 inches long, 20 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix 1 cup of sugar with 6 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough.
- Roll dough up tightly from the shorter end, creating a roll about 3 inches in diameter and 27 inches long. Cut into thirds, seal the seams, and seal and turn under the ends.
- Place the loaves, seam side down, in three generously greased 9×5 inch pans. Let rise for about an hour. During that time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for about 38-45 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned. They are ready when they sound hollow on the bottom when tapped.
- Remove from pans onto rack and immediately rub tops and sides of the warm loaves with butter or margarine. Cool before slicing.
