This recipe makes a sweet cinnamon swirl bread with or without raisins. Use your bread machine to mix and knead the dough, but bake in your conventional oven for the best crust.
Add all of the dough ingredients: ½ to ⅔ cup milk, 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped , ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 3 cups bread flour, and 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, except the raisins to your bread machine pan. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
Check the dough at least twice by lifting the lid to take a peek. Do this right after starting the DOUGH cycle to see if the paddles are correctly engaged, and the dough is starting to form a ball.Recheck the consistency of the dough again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Learn more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
Add ⅔ cup raisins, chopped or use currants when the machine beeps that it's time to add any ingredients you don't want to be mashed by the kneading action. If your machine doesn't have this signal, add them before shaping the dough by kneading them into the dough by hand.
When the DOUGH cycle finishes, poke two floured fingers into the dough to see if it has proofed enough. Your fingers should leave an indentation that slowly fills in. If the dough bounces right back, let it sit in the bread machine a little longer and test again in 15-30 minutes.
Shaping the loaf:
Remove the dough from the bread machine to a lightly floured or greased surface. Form into a ball and flatten into a rough square shape. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Mix together the filling ingredients.
Roll dough out to a 9 x 14-inch rectangle. Spritz lightly with water. Sprinkle the filling:⅓ cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves evenly over the dough. Roll up jelly-roll style starting from one of the short ends. Pinch the seam together to seal. Pull each end towards the seam and pinch. Place the dough cylinder into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan seam-side down or a 9x4x4-inch Pullman pan. Press down on the dough to evenly distribute it throughout the pan.
Cover the pan and place in a warm place until almost double in size. This process will likely take longer than usual (1-2 hours) because it is an enriched dough, but check it at 45 minutes. Use a knuckle to lightly press on the side of the loaf. The indentation should fill in slowly. If it bounces back immediately, let it continue to rise.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C) about 15 minutes before you think the loaf will be ready to bake.
Glaze: (optional if you are using a 9x5-inch loaf pan)
Combine 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush to glaze the loaf.
Baking the loaf:
Put the lid on if using a Pullman pan and you want a square loaf. Pull the lid off about 10 minutes before you expect the bread to be done.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes. Use a quick-read thermometer to guarantee the bread is baked all the way through. The internal temperature should reach 190˚F (88˚C).
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Use a table knife to loosen the loaf from the pan and turn it out onto a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before slicing to avoid squashing your loaf.
Notes
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.