Weather: 22 degrees, winds at 19mph, slippery road conditions
What I’m listening to: Enya
Making this bread made me very happy. The kitchen is usually my happy place, but this bread made it even better somehow. I can’t really explain it. The dough rose beautifully, was easy to work with, and baked up into the most gorgeous golden cinnamon-sugary morsel I’ve ever seen. It just delighted my soul.
Once the smell filled the house, everyone came running. And then they asked for seconds. And then I left the house for a couple of hours and when I returned… well… only the heel of the loaf was left. The entire loaf disappeared in a matter of about 6 hours. Note to self: next time make two loaves. At least.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
- For Dough:
- 1c milk, warm
- 6T butter, melted
- 2 1/2t yeast
- 2 eggs
- 1/3c sugar
- 3 1/2c flour
- 1t salt
- For Filling:
- 2T butter, softened
- 1/3c sugar
- 2T Cinnamon
- 1/3c raisins
- For brushing on loaf prior to baking:
- 1/2c milk
- 1 egg
Combine the warm milk, melted butter, and yeast in the bowl of a stand-mixer. Stir gently and allow to stand ten minutes.
Add eggs and sugar to to milk/butter/yeast mixture and mix to combine.
Gradually add the flour and salt. Knead with the dough hook attachment for 10 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the base, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in the oven with the light on or another warm location for two hours.
Grease loaf pan.
Flour your work surface. Turn dough out onto surface and roll into a rectangle, using your loaf pan as a guide for width. The rectangle should be about 18-24 inches long.
Smear 2T softened butter over rectangle, then evenly sprinkle your cinnamon and sugar. Last, sprinkle on the raisins.
Beginning from far end, roll the rectangle into a loaf, rolling toward you, and place seam-side down in prepared loaf pan.
Place pan back in rising spot and allow to rise another hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk together milk and egg. Spread lightly over top of risen loaf until evenly coated (this gives it that shiny, golden crust).
Bake for 40 minutes.