KS Quotient
Easy: Fuss-free ingredients; two-stage mixing for dough. Easy hand-shaping required.
Cinnamon raisin is one of America's most popular breads, and no wonder. The touch of sweetness is always welcome, and the aroma and taste of the classic cinnamon-raisin combo is completely irresistible. This large, light, fine-textured loaf is excellent for toast, but is also tasty eaten plain for a snack.
The starting point for this loaf is a batch of the County Fair White Bread dough. Prepare it exactly as directed in the original recipe up to the point it is to go into a loaf pan to rise. Don't forget to add the butter, milk powder, and egg as instructed before proceeding with the directions below.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 15 slices
1 recipe County Fair White Bread dough, ready for the second rise
¾ to 1 cup dark raisins, rinsed under hot water, drained well, and patted dry
Corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough top and baking pan
Unbleached white bread flour or all-purpose white flour for dusting
1 large egg, at room temperature and beaten with a fork
Generous 1/3 cup granulated sugar combined with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
1 tablespoon cool and firm unsalted butter, cut into fine bits
Second Rise Once all the second rise ingredients have been added to the dough as directed in the recipe for County Fair White Bread, vigorously stir in the raisins until fully and evenly incorporated. Instead of turning out the dough into a baking pan as directed in the original recipe, set it in the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes.
Coat a 16-inch-long sheet of baking parchment with nonstick spray. Generously dust the parchment with flour. Turn out the dough onto the center of the parchment. Evenly dust with flour, then shape it into a rough rectangle with flour-dusted fingertips. Dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, press out the dough into a 9 x 14-inch evenly thick rectangle. Brush some of the beaten egg evenly over the dough to within 1/8 inch of the edge all around. (Reserve the remaining egg for garnishing the loaf.) Sprinkle all but ½ tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough to within ¼ inch of the edge all around; reserve the ½ tablespoon cinnamon-sugar for garnish. Sprinkle the bits of butter over the sugar.
Tightly roll up the dough from a 9-inch-wide side to form a pinwheel log, using flour-dusted hands and lifting up the parchment to assist the rolling as you work. Pinch the seam together tightly all along the length of the log, then lay seam-side down. Firmly tuck the ends of the log underneath. Transfer the loaf, seam-side down, to a well-greased 9 x 5-inch baking pan. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic. Remove it and continue until the dough rises ½ inch above the pan rim.
Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly brush the dough top with the reserved beaten egg. Wipe away any egg that pools around the pan edges, as it will cause the dough to stick to the pan. Evenly sprinkle the remaining ½ tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar over top.
Baking Bake on the lower rack for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaf is nicely browned. Cover with foil and continue baking for 25 to 35 minutes longer, occasionally testing until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or until the center registers 207° to 209°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then, bake for 10 to 15 minutes more to make sure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringServe warm, or cool, or toasted; the bread slices best when cool. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.