Cinnamon Raisin Bread

To me, there is no bread greater for toast than homemade cinnamon raisin bread. I've tried buying packaged bread for a quick and easy breakfast. Nope. Some are sliced so thin that to get it toasty it ends up burning the edges. Others are bland. And not to mention, expensive!

Now this bread, this makes fabulous toast. (It's also wonderful fresh from the oven!) It has a great balance of cinnamon and raisins. The dough has eggs in it so the bread is more rich. The crust is great too, you brush it with egg white and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar prior to baking. Yum.

On the rare occasion that this bread lasts longer than a day or two I use it to make fresh toast. That, my friends, is a great breakfast.


Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Source: Old Fashioned Favorites
Yield: One loaf

1 package active yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 t. sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, divided
3-3 1/2 cups flour
1 t salt
2/3 cup warm milk
3 T butter, room temp
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
1 T cinnamon
1 T butter, melted
1 T water

Proof yeast by sprinkling dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar over warm water. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes.

Separate one egg. Refrigerate white and set yolk aside.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in large bowl. Gradually beat yeast mixture, warm milk, and butter into flour mixture at low speed. Increase to medium and beat 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add whole egg, yolk and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Stir in raisins and about 1 1/2 cups flour with wooden spoon. Turn out dough and knead about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth. You may need to add more flour here.

Shape dough into ball and allow to rise, covered with towel, for 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and let rest 10 minutes. Grease bread pan. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Roll dough into 20x9 rectangle. Brush with 1 T melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll up dough, starting at shorter side. Pinch ends and seam to seal. Place in loaf pan and allow to rise about an hour.

Brush loaf with egg white mixed with 1 T water and sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.