Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

I was definitely in the baking and cooking mood when I got home from my internship this afternoon. After being in a gym all day I was missing my kitchen and just wanted to spend the afternoon in it making delicious goodies for my boyfriend and I to enjoy this week.

Quick side note, I hope that the pictures above help you in your bread making journey. I had to rely on some pictures to make sure that I was making this bread the right way and they certainly helped me.

Getting back on track, I knew I had to make some sort of go to breakfast item for my boyfriend to have in the morning, since most mornings I'm gone at my internship before I have time to make him anything for breakfast. After doing some searching through my Pinterest boards, I knew this bread was the perfect thing to make to last us through the week.

I also ended up making some fresh strawberry and chocolate chunk coconut milk ice cream, planting some more seeds in a leftover plastic egg container and cooked broccoli cheddar soup for dinner. Oh, and I also did 45 minutes of chest and back and 10 straight minutes of jumprope. Ya, I had a busy day.

I will admit that this particular bread recipe is time consuming. I was in my kitchen for most of the afternoon making the dough, waiting for it to rise, rolling it out, waiting for it to rise again and finally baking it (twice) because this recipe makes 2 loaves and I only have 1 loaf pan. But I have to say, all the time and work was totally worth it!

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When my boyfriend got home tonight he tried a small bite of this bread and said that he absolutely loves it and "it tastes like store bought" which in his language is a compliment. We are planning on enjoying it as french toast tomorrow morning with some local honey drizzled over the top. I can't wait for that!

The next time you have some free time during your day, make this bread! I definitely encourage you to make the 2 loaves because 1) they will either both be devoured very quickly or 2) you can freeze one, which is what I'm planning on doing. I hope you try this recipe and I know you'll enjoy it as much as I am going to!

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread:

(recipe slightly adapted from: http://www.thekitchn.com/)

(Makes 2 loaves)

1 cup raisins

1 cup warm water

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons salt

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons warm water

1. Soak the raisins in water in a small bowl for 10 minutes to rehydrate them.
2. In a large bowl add the warm water and yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy. Stir in the almond milk, melted butter and salt. 
3. Mix in the flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together. Turn out onto your kitchen counter and knead until the dough is slightly sticky, but holds together.
4. Drain your raisins and add a little bit of flour to them to help soak up any leftover moisture. Make your dough into an oval and add half of the raisins over the surface. Fold the dough in half and add the other half of the raisins. Fold again and knead the dough for another few minutes until the raisins are distributed throughout and the dough forms a ball without sagging.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for an hour in a warm place.
6. After the dough has doubled in size, break it in half and roll one piece out into a long and thin rectangle. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and brush the dough with the mixture. Leave about 2 inches of space at the top of the dough that you do not brush with the egg. 
7. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the rolled out dough, again leaving 2 inches of space at the top. Starting at the end closest to you, roll the dough and pinch the seam at the top.
8. Transfer the dough to a greased loaf pan and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375° and brush the top of your dough with the leftover egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown. Remove from the loaf pan and let cool. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough and enjoy!