Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread From Jessica Battilana & King Arthur Baking Company
Studded with raisins and showcasing a gooey brown sugar swirl through its center, this loaf is the ultimate breakfast bread. Made with a dough that is enriched with sugar, eggs, and butter, it has an especially soft crumb and toasts beautifully. This enriched dough requires the use of a stand mixer to produce a strong dough. This strength is important for the dough to hold its shape and produce a good rise.
Photo by Ed Anderson
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 loaf
PREFERMENT (See Note)
111 grams / ¾ cup raisins (golden, black, or a combination)
14 grams (1 tablespoon) sourdough culture (recipe in Big Book of Bread)
30 grams (¼ cup) unbleached bread flour
28 grams (2 tablespoons) cool water (60°F to 70°F)
DOUGH
300 grams (2½ cups) unbleached bread flour, plus more for dusting
12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
6 grams (1 teaspoon) fine salt
3 grams (1 teaspoon) instant yeast
1 large egg (50 grams)
170 grams (¾ cup) warm milk, whole preferred
57 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
FILLING
53 grams (¼ cup packed) light brown sugar
5 grams (2 teaspoons) unbleached bread flour
4 grams (1½ teaspoons) ground cinnamon
Egg Wash: 1 large egg (50 grams) beaten with ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
OPTIONAL TOPPING
45 grams (¼ cup) turbinado sugar or 57 grams (¼ cup) sparkling sugar
METHOD
DAY 1
Soak the Raisins and Make the Preferment: The evening before you want to bake, place the raisins in a small bowl, then pour 227 grams (1 cup) cold water over them. Cover and set aside to hydrate at room temperature overnight, 12 to 16 hours.
In a small bowl, combine the sourdough culture, flour, and water and mix until no dry patches of flour remain. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, 12 to 16 hours.
DAY 2
Make the Dough: In a stand mixer bowl, combine the preferment, flour, granulated sugar, salt, yeast, egg, and milk. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed, scraping the mixer bowl as needed, until you have a firm yet tacky dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain the raisins and have at the ready. With the mixer running, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing until the first piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is soft, smooth, and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer stopped, add the raisins, then mix until they are evenly distributed in the dough, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Grease an 8½×4½-inch loaf pan with pan spray.
SHAPE THE DOUGH AND LET IT RISE: Lightly flour a work surface, then use a plastic bowl scraper to ease the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Gently deflate the dough, then roll it into a 15×8-inch rectangle with a short side facing you. Brush a light, even coat of the egg wash over the dough; you won’t use all of it here but will use more for brushing the loaf before baking. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch-wide bare strip on the short side of the dough farthest away from you. Fold the outer ½ inch of each long edge in to enclose the edge of the filling. Gently press down to flatten. Starting with the short side closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the center seam closed, then pinch each end to seal. Place the log seam side down in the prepared pan. Cover and let the loaf rise at room temperature until it crowns about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1½ hours.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
BAKE: Lightly brush the top of the loaf with the reserved egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, if using. Bake the bread until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F, about 40 minutes.
Remove the loaf from the oven, then turn it out of the pan and onto a rack right away; this helps the bread come out of the pan easily and preserves the crust. Let cool completely before slicing.
NOTE: We like the flavor (and improved keeping qualities) that a sourdough preferment lends this bread, but if you don’t have sourdough culture—or forgot to make the preferment—just add 37 grams (scant ⅓ cup) additional bread flour and 35 grams (2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons) water to the final dough and increase the yeast to 6 grams (2 teaspoons).
From The King Arthur Baking Company Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker by Jessica Battilana, Martin Philip, and Melanie Wanders. Reprinted by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
