This bread is tender and sweet and swirled with a buttery cinnamon sugar swirl. Tender white bread with swirls of buttery cinnamon sugar, speckled with raisins. Entirely made from scratch and so mouthwatering.

To start, we’ll melt the butter for 15 seconds or until it’s completely liquified. Then, pour in the milk and sugar and heat it till it’s lukewarm (about 105-110ºF). Sprinkle with the yeast and stir to combine. Combine everything in a stand mixer and let the machine knead the dough for roughly ten minutes.

Once the dough for our cinnamon swirl bread dough comes together, allow it to rest for at least an hour or until it doubles in size. Just let the dryer heat up for about 5 minutes, turn it off, place your bowl inside and don’t open the door for an hour so that your bread dough can rise well.

Then we’ll roll the dough out into a large rectangle pan and spread on softened butter, sprinkle the bread with cinnamon sugar and dot it with raisins. Next, we’ll roll up the bread. Take your time in doing this, you don’t want to roll it too loose, or you’ll have large holes in the bread.

Now we’ll let the dough rise a second time before moving forward and baking the bread.

Ingredients;

  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
  • 5 Tablespoons (72g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and divided
  • 3 cups (390g) bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (75g) raisins

Instructions;

  1. Whisk the yeast and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar together in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer.
    Heat the water and milk together on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C).
  2. Pour over the yeast/sugar and whisk until combined. Cover loosely and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
  3. Add 2 and 1/2 cups bread flour and the salt. Mix on medium-low speed, then add enough bread flour to make a soft dough that no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead by hand or with the mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth but still slightly soft.
  4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, around 1 and 1/2 – 2 hours.
  5. Preheat to 200°F (93°C), then turn the oven off after preheating. Place the covered bowl inside and shut the oven door.
  6. Grease a loaf pan with butter or spray with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, toss remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon, and raisins together. Set aside. Punch down the dough to release the air.
  7. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and with a floured rolling pin, shape into a 9×18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides.
  8. Roll the dough up very tightly into a 9-inch log. Pinch the ends to seal. Place into prepared loaf pan bottom seam side down.
  9. Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm environment until the dough rises to the top of the pan, about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
  10. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and gently brush the top of the loaf.
  11. Bake until golden brown and, when gently tapped, the top of the loaf sounds hollow, about 35-45 minutes. If you find the top of the loaf is browning too quickly as it bakes, tent with aluminum foil.
  12. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool loaf completely on the wire rack.