Raisin Swirl Bread

A nice bread, I made this one without the raisins because Josh doesn't like them. It wasn't as moist as I like it so I would recommend making it with raisins, or at least another dried fried ie. apricots.

Ingredients: Bread
1 packet yeast

1/4 cup sugar, plus a pinch

1.25 cups just warm milk

1/2 stick butter (4Tbs.) at room temp.

3/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3.25 - 4 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients: swirl

1 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup moist plump raisins

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened to a spreadable consistency.

Method: Bread

1. Put the yeast in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, and stir in 1/4 cup of the warm milk.

2. Let this rest for 3min, then stir.

3. Working with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the rest of the milk, the butter and 1/4 cup sugar and mix on low speed for 1-2min.

4. Add the salt, egg and vanilla and mix.

5. Add the yeast mixture and beat on medium-low for 1 min or more.

6. Turn the mixer off and add 2.75 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until just worked into the liquid.

7. If you have a dough hook switch to it now.

8. Add another 1 cup of flour, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the dough for a couple of minuets.

9. If the dough does not come together and almost clean the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup of flour, 1 Tbs. at a time.

10. Keep the mixer speed at medium and knead the dough for another 3 min. The dough will be very soft.

11. Butter a large bowl, and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size - around 1.5 hours.

12. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up. Put it in the freezer for 30 min. or until it is firm enough to be rolled out.

Method: Swirl and Assembly

1. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and cocoa.

3. Put the dough on a large work surface lightly dusted with flour.

4. Lightly dust the top of the dough, and roll out to be roughly 12 x 18 inches.

5. Gently smear 2 Tbs. of butter over the top (using your fingers is the best tools to use in this case).

6. Sprinkle over the sugar mixture (and scatter over the raisins).

7. Starting from the short side of the dough, roll the dough 'jelly-roll' style, try and make it nice and tight, so that it holds together in the oven.

8. Place seam side down in the loaf pan.

9. Cover loosely with wax paper and let rise for around 45 min.

10. When the dough has risen again, center a rack in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 375F.

11. Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. of butter and brush over the top of the bread.

12. Bake in the oven for 20min, then cover with a foil tent for 25 min, or until the bread sounds hollow when it is tapped.

13. Transfer to a rack to cool down for 5 min, and then unmold. Let it cool down the right way up. Enjoy!

Taken from Dorie Greenspan's 'Baking: From My Home to Yours' pp. 58-60.