Spice Swirled Raisin Bread - sustained kitchen

I adapted this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s Bread Illustrated book, which is for sure my most prized possession. The original recipe was simply for a cinnamon raisin loaf, but I wanted to kick it up a notch by adding in some more holiday spices.

Don’t get me wrong, regular old cinnamon raisin bread is good...but once you get a few more spices in the mix, raisin bread can be great. This loaf fits the bill by featuring not only cinnamon but also ginger, nutmeg and cloves. I love this simple combo, but if you're feeling adventurous you could also add in some cardamom to give the loaf a chai vibe.

I also love this recipe because the dough is suuuper satisfying to work with. It doesn't get too sticky, it's never too firm and it rises like nobody's business. The finished result is v flavorful, lightly sweet and just perfection. Save this recipe for a snow day, serve with a schmear of butter and you'll be in spiced raisin bread heaven. Fuzzy blanket and hot coco required.

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Makes: 2 loaves of bread

Time: 6 hours

Tools: a standup mixer with a dough hook, and a spray bottle full of water

Ingredients

(adapted from Bread Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen)

For the dough

1/2 cup (4 oz, 1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
3 3/4 cups (20 2/3 ounces) bread flour
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) dry milk powder
1 tablespoon rapid-rise or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups raisins, I used a combination of golden and regular

For the filling

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the egg wash

1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
A pinch of salt

Steps

In a small bowl, toss together your cubed butter and 1 tablespoon of the flour and set aside. In the bowl of a standup mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the rest of the flour, the milk powder and the yeast. In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together water, egg and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Start the mixer on low speed as you slowly drizzle the water mixture into the flour mixture. After the wet ingredients have been incorporated and a cohesive dough starts to form (about 2 minutes) let the dough rest, covered with a dish towel, for 20 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, add your salt to the dough and start your mixer kneading on medium speed. Knead for about 8 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and stretchy. Then, gradually add in your flour-coated butter, mixing until fully incorporated, about 4 minutes. Continue kneading for about 3-5 more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and starts to clear the sides of the mixing bowl. Next, reduce the speed to low and gradually add your raisins to the dough. Knead for about thirty seconds in the mixer and then use your hands to finish incorporating the raisins.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl and use your fingers to fold in the edges of the dough toward the middle. To do this, place your fingers along the edge of the dough and sneak them between the dough and the bowl. Then lift and carry the edge of the dough toward the middle and push down lightly. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold again. Repeat until you have folded 8 times. Let the dough rest, covered with a towel, for 45 minutes and then repeat the folding. Let your dough rest for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and separate it into two equal halves. On a lightly floured countertop, press and roll one half into an 11-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Then, stretch and fold the dough into thirds to form an 11-inch by 3-inch rectangle. Working from the short end, roll dough into a taught ball. Set aside, covered with a towel, and repeat with the other half of dough.
After your dough balls are rolled, whisk together all filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Roll out one half of the dough into an 18-inch by 7-inch rectangle. Spritz the rolled out dough with some water and then pat on half of the sugar mixture and give it a few more spritzes of water. This will help the sugar mixture stick to the dough. Next, starting from the short side of the dough, roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam to seal. Repeat this step with the other half of the dough.
Working with the first cylinder you made, cut it in half lengthwise (hotdog style). Pinch one end of the halves together and then stretch and fold the dough over itself to form 2 twists. Pinch the other end of the dough to seal and transfer to a lightly greased 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, tucking the ends of the dough under itself to fit the pan. Repeat this step with the other cylinder of dough. Let these rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they have risen to about 1-inch above the tops of the pans. Toward the end of the rise time, heat your oven to 350 F.
After the loaves have risen, gently brush them with the beaten egg wash and bake for 25 minutes before reducing heat to 325 F and covering the loaves with aluminum foil. Bake covered loaves for 15 to 25 more minutes. You'll know they’re done when the inside of the loaves reaches 205 degrees. Let them rest for about 5 minutes in their pans and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Sustainability Tips

Butter: Make sure you get your butter from a sustainable brand (like a B Corp). Since cows are pretty terrible for the planet, this will make up for some of that damage. Read more about B Corps in my B Corp post!
Flour: I like to buy King Arthur brand flour because Kind Arthur is a B Corp, but feel free to use local flour if you can find it. If you use local flour, be sure to follow the weight measurement rather than the cups measurement because it’s weight will most likely differ from King Arthur’s.
Sugar: Make sure to get fair trade and organic sugar. Read all about it in my sustainable cane sugars post!
Egg: Local or bust! Local eggs can be found at winter markets, or sometimes at small grocery stores. Getting local eggs will cut down on the amount of GHGs released during transportation.
Covering the dough: No need to cover the dough with wasteful cling film. A simple tea towel will do the trick!
Aluminum Foil: Since the aluminum foil doesn't get dirty in this recipe, you can reuse it or recycle it. Read all about the dangers of aluminum foil in my aluminum foil post.

Spice Swirled Raisin Bread