Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bread

More swirls! For my parent's anniversary, I made a breakfast tray and included this cinnamon raisin swirl bread with honey cream cheese. Yum! I've heard a lot about Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but this was my first recipe. Lovely! It's a very nice loaf with great texture and packed full of raisins and walnuts. It has a subtle hint of sweetness and cinnamon but not overwhelming. This is a great loaf to give to a neighbor or take to a brunch!


I used golden raisins that I plumped in hot water and they were delicious. The cinnamon swirl is optional but I think is a must--adding a bit more sweetness, flavor, and beauty. I also dusted the top with cinnamon and sugar, as suggested, right out of the oven, giving the loaves a sweet crust. It's made entirely with bread flour--next time I'm going to try all-purpose or a mixture--it was a little chewy. But a wonderful first recipe from this tasty book! Continue for recipe.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread
by Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Makes two 1 1/2-pound loaves

3 1/2 cups (16oz) unbleached bread flour
4 t sugar
1 1/4 t salt
2 t instant yeast
1 1/4 t cinnamon
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T shortening, melted or at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temp.
3/4 cup water, room temperature
1 1/2 cups raisins, rinsed and drained (**I plump my raisins in hot water--then use this water
in the recipe.)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts


1. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.

2. Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed, switching to the dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6 to 8 minutes). Sprinkle in the raisins and walnuts during the final 2 minutes of kneading (or mixing) to distribute them evenly and to avoid crushing them too much. (If you are mixing by machine, you may have to finish kneading by hand to distribute the raisins and walnuts evenly.) The dough should register 77° to 81°F (25 to 27°C). Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form them into loaves. Place each loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch pan, mist the tops with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

5. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the loaf pans on a sheet pan, making sure they are not touching each other.

7. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished breads should register 190°F (85°C) in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

8. Immediately remove the breads from their pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before slicing or serving.

COMMENTARY
An alternative to the method described here is to add a cinnamon swirl. To make cinnamon sugar, stir together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. When shaping the dough, roll out each piece with a rolling pin to a rectangle 5 inches wide by 8 inches long and approximately 1/3 inch thick. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the surface of the rectangles and then roll up the dough into a tight sandwich-style loaf, pinching the seam closed with your fingers. When you slice the baked bread, there will be a cinnamon swirl that not only looks pretty but will also add additional cinnamon-sugar flavor.

Another trick that adds flavor is to brush the tops of the baked loaves with melted butter as soon as they come out of the bread pans, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. When the bread cools, the top will have an additional sweet and crunchy flavor burst.