cinnamon raisin swirlie bread

littefoodie has a major love for cinnamon raisin bread and around here its simply called swirlie bread. the kid adores it. i used to buy it at trader joes but when i realized how often i really did have to buy those yummy loaves i realized how much easier it would be just to bake some up ourselves.

the recipe is from another blog named pete-bakes.com. the recipe is perfect. the only change i made was using whole wheat flour instead of white as well as organic sugars, flours and butters. the title is a link to the amazingly yummy and wonderful website and i copied and pasted the recipe as well! thanks pete!

enjoy!

cinnamon raisin swirl bread
makes two loaves, but it’s easy enough to halve this one.

1 package dry instant yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
3 Tbsp and 1/4 cup sugar, separated
1 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
6-7 cups flour
1 cup raisins
1 Tbsp cinnamon

1. dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of sugar. let stand for five minutes.

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

3. 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, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

4. mix together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl.

5. punch down the dough, divide in half, and roll them out on a floured surface so they are both about 18 x 9 inches. you may need to roll, let the dough rest, and roll again so you get the right size.

6. sprinkle each rolled out loaf with 1 Tbsp of water and half of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

7. roll the dough from the short end and pinch the seams shut. you should have a 9 inch long rolled up piece of dough. place into a greased loaf pans. brush the tops of the loaves with 2 Tbsp melted butter and let them rise for 1 hour.

8. bake at 425 F for 30 minutes. the loaves should have a dark golden brown top. remove and place on a wire rack to cool. you can freeze the loaves, although i don’t know how long they’ll keep, since i usually finish both off within a week.