Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I swear I've typed this recipe before but I feel like doing it again even so. I'm making American-style cinnamon-raisin bread. It's a good day for it, about 80 degrees and very humid.

So humid that I mixed some honey into the yeasty water, went downstairs to check the laundry and the yeast had puffed up and almost out of the measuring cup by the time I got back.

The original Betty Crocker 25th Anniversary Cookbook recipe for
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- 6 to 7 cups unbleached or all purpose white flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 2 packages regular or quick acting dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups very warm water
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix 3.5 cups flour with the sugar, salt, shortening and yeast in large bowl. Add water. Beat on low one minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed one minute. Stir in remaining flour, one cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle. Stir in one cup raisins.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about ten minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise 40 to 60 minutes until dough doubles. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Grease 2 loaf pans. Punch dough down and divide in half. Flatten dough and make a rectangle 18 x 9 inches.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the rectangle. Flatten or roll into 9 x 9 square. Roll dough tightly, beginning at the open (unfolded) ends to form a loaf. Press with thumbs to seal after each turn. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam down in pan. Brush loafs lightly with margarine. Cover and let rise in warm place 35 to 50 minutes until double.

Place oven rack in lowest position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 425. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Cool on wire rack.

My variations:

My ingredient list:
- 3 plus cups of unbleached white flour
- 3 plus cups of whole wheat flour
I used local honey instead of sugar

Instead of mixing the yeast into the dry ingredients, I put the yeast in 1 cup of the warm water, added the honey and then let it sit while I assembled the rest of the ingredients.

I used almost 2 tablespoons butter instead of shortening.

I could glaze with cornstarch and water instead of butter. I used a mixture of walnut oil and water. I glazed with this, coated with old fashioned oats, and coated again.

I used a mix of brown sugar (light and dark), cinnamon, maybe white sugar and nutmeg for the spice filling.