Cinnamon Swirl Loaf Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup raisins
- Up to 3 cups more all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Water for brushing
Icing:
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons water or milk to make a thick icing plus more if needed.
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour and yeast.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt until just warm (approximately 110° F.) stirring to melt the butter.
- On low speed, pour the milk mixture into the bowl of flour and yeast. Blend well. Add the eggs and blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Run the machine on medium-high speed for about 1-2 minutes to develop the gluten. The mixture will still be very thin.
- Go back to low speed and add all the white whole wheat flour, raisins and enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.
- Pour the dough onto a work surface and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic. This may take approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl flipping it over so that the greased side is up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume (about 1 hour).
- Pour the dough onto a work surface. Try not to use any flour.
- Using a dough cutter, cut the dough in half.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each half of the dough into a rectangle approximately 14-inches long by 7-inches wide.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Spray 2 loaf pans, approximately 9-inches by 5-inches by 3-inches with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
- Using a pastry brush, brush each rectangle of dough with water. Sprinkle each rectangle with one-half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- With the long side facing you, roll each rectangle into a tight cylinder and lay them in the greased loaf pans, seam side down.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cover each loaf pan lightly with plastic wrap and allow the breads to rise for 30-40 minutes or until the loaves are doubled in volume.
- Bake the loaves for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the tops are nice and brown and the breads sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove the breads from the pans and cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Make icing whisk together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and enough water or milk to make a thick but pourable icing.
- Place loaves on a wax paper lined sheet pan. Drizzle each loaf with icing and allow the icing to dry at room temperature.
Notes
Makes 2 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaves