Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients

For the bread:

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F, feels warm but not hot)
• 1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 3 cups flour

For the filling:

• 3 tbsp. butter, softened but not melted
• about 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
• optional: about 1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 10 minutes. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a well-oiled bowl, turn dough to coat, and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down, and knead for a minute or two. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, approximately 9 x 15 inches. Spread the softened butter all over the surface, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar all over the buttered surface, and then the raisins. Roll up from short end (so the finished roll is 9 inches long), and place into a well-oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise for around 30-40 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes.

References

This recipe comes from Sonia. She gave it to Tori as thanks for driving her to a trailhead one time while at Williams.

Note

I’ve always made it without raisins, and it’s a great snack food (or good as french toast).

Section author: Tori