Cinnamon swirled bread with the fruity bonus of rum raisin within.
For the rum raisins
- 1 cup raisins
- ¾ cup dark rum
For the dough
1 cup warm whole milk, 100 to 105°F
¼ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided use
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
For the cinnamon sugar filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest
For the Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons water
Prepare the raisins
1. Heat rum in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, place raisins in a medium bowl. Once rum is simmering, remove from heat and pour over raisins. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours, until rum has cooled to room temperature and raisins have plumped up. Strain raisins and discard rum. Set aside.
Make the dough
2. Place warm milk in the bowl of your stand mixer, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar, and active dry yeast on top. Stir to combine. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until yeast has activated and mixture is foamy.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
4. In the mixer bowl with the foamy yeast, add the cooled melted butter and lightly whisked eggs. Now place the bowl on your stand mixer and attach the dough hook.
5. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions. Once all the flour add been added, increase speed to medium. Continue to knead until dough comes together; pulling away from the sides of bowl to form a smooth and elastic dough.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm area for 1 hour.
7. In a small bowl, combine softened butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest until a smooth paste is formed.
Assemble the bread
8. Once dough has risen, punch down and divide the dough into two equal parts. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll dough into a rectangle about 9″x13″ in size.
9. Spread half of the cinnamon filling over the dough, then scatter half of the rum raisins all over the surface of the dough. Using your finger, gently press raisins into the dough.
10. Beginning from the short end of the rectangle, roll up the dough tightly and pinch the seams together. Tuck the ends of the roll on the same side as the seams. Place loaf seam side down in a lightly greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Repeat with the other half of dough.
11. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Whisk together ingredients for egg wash.
12. Once the breads have risen a second time, brush egg wash all over the top of the loaves. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until tops are golden brown. (If you want to ensure doneness, the internal temperature of the bread should be above 185°F/85°C on a kitchen thermometer.)
13. Let bread cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack. Cool the bread to room temperature before slicing.