Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Cook:4h 15min

You can use any white bread recipe to make any swirl breads listed below. The cinnamon raisin version is a classic, inspired by a recipe from James Beard. The sherry gives an unusual complexity to the sweet raisins and brown sugar, and most of the alcohol is cooked off while the mixture simmers. Feel free to use apple cider instead. This recipe makes two loaves, one to eat right away, preferably warm from the oven, or toasted and buttered the next day. Freeze the other loaf and use it to make what is arguably the best French toast imaginable.

Updated at: Sun, 27 Aug 2023 18:34:26 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

High

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories298.9 kcal (15%)

Total Fat6.8 g (10%)

Carbs53 g (20%)

Sugars20.7 g (23%)

Protein6.2 g (12%)

Sodium387.3 mg (19%)

Fiber2.1 g (7%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

8 servings

For The Dough

1 ⅛ teaspoonsactive dry yeast

¾ cupsmilk

lukewarm

⅙ cupgranulated sugar

½ tablespoonkosher salt

1 ⅕ tablespoonsbutter

melted, more for greasing bowl and pans

1egg

2 ½ cupsall-purpose flour

For The Filling

⅙ cupdry sherry

or apple cider

¾ cupsraisins

2 tablespoonsbutter

melted

¼ cupdark brown sugar

½ tablespooncinnamon

Cinnamon sugar

for dusting, optional

Instructions

Step 1

Make the dough: In a large electric mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/8 cup warm milk. Add the remaining warm milk, the sugar, the salt, the butter and the eggs. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and mix with paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Switch to hook attachment and knead on low speed, adding more flour if necessary until dough is stiff and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Grease a large bowl with butter and turn dough out into the bowl. Flip dough over so greased side is up, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 11/2 to 2 hours. Generously butter a 9-x-5 loaf pan.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small pot, bring sherry to a low boil and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add raisins, cover and let sit until needed for filling.

Step 4

When dough has doubled in size, turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Return to greased bowl, cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Press down dough with your hand to expel the air. Roll into a 16-x-8-inch rectangle. Brush with some of the melted butter. Drain raisins and mix with sugar and cinnamon; scatter half of the mixture over the dough and, starting with the shorter side, roll up tightly into an 8-inch log, tucking the ends under. Place roll seam-side down in a loaf pan and brush top with melted butter; dust with cinnamon sugar if desired.

Step 6

Cover and let rise until dough is just above the tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 7

Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, the top is brown and the internal temperature is 200 degrees. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on wire rack.