Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

[Anna N]

This is my second attempt in as many days to make this bread.

The recipe calls for the proofed and punched down dough to be rolled into a 6x14inch rectangle, brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with raisins, then with brown sugar, then with cinnamon sugar and finally rolled like a jelly roll.

Yesterday I rolled it from the 14 inch edge and it looked pretty much the same as the one from today (photo is from today!). The raisin swirl was mostly centered and the raisins simply fell out when the loaf was cut.

Today I rolled it from the 6 inch edge, squished it down firmly on every roll, but the result is about the same! The raisins are all gathered in one swirl and there is a big hole where the raisins are. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I am sure someone here can tell me the big mistake I am making!

I doubt that the recipe would help anyone to help me but it's from "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" and I have had great success with other breads in this book.

This is bugging so much that I have started another batch of dough in hopes that someone will throw me a life jacket.

[reenicake]

try soft butter instead of melted; I usually mix all the"spiral" ingredients together to make a paste, then spread that on instead of sprinkling each one in turn. Seems to make them bind together better. Also try a longer piece, like 9x18, spread leaving a 1 1/2" blank edge on the short side, then roll up (tightly!) so the blank edge is in the middle. This increases the surface area so you will hopefully get more even distribution of swirly stuff.

Good luck! Love the smell of cinnamon raisin bread, I wish I could smell from the computer monitor.

[Panosmex]

Here's some thoughts on this, Anna. From the photo, I think possibly that your sheet of dough is not rolled out to a large enough rectangle. I also suspect that you are soaking your raisins, possibly in warm water and for too long. That may create an overly moist environment, where the raisin cinnamon cavern is created.

You may wish to try mixing in the raisins into the dough during the last stages of mixing. Beforehand, temper the raisins in cool water, drain well, and let them absorb any excess water for an hour or so.

Next, as to the cinnamon filling; I have had numerous problems in the past with these before. On solution is to make up a creamed mixture of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and a little cornstarch to use as a cinnamon spread. The cornstarch is intended to take up any excess water from the butter when it begins to melt. Whether that will work or not is for experimentation.

I note that you are doing two applications of sugar, one of brown sugar and one of cinnamon sugar. That may be excessive. Try combining the two sugars as part of the cinnamon filling spread that I mentioned earlier.

Proofing conditions: I don't know under what conditions you are proofing the final, shaped loaves, but I'd suggest avoiding very warm temps, as that will melt the butter in the filling, causing cavern formation.

I hope this helps and that you find a satisfactory outcome. (Now, I may have to try making this to see for myself what is going on here.)

This is my second attempt in as many days to make this bread. 

The recipe calls for the proofed and punched down dough to be rolled into a 6x14inch rectangle, brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with raisins, then with brown sugar, then with cinnamon sugar and finally rolled like a jelly roll. 

Yesterday I rolled it from the 14 inch edge and it looked pretty much the same as the one from today (photo is from today!).  The raisin swirl was mostly centered and the raisins simply fell out when the loaf was cut.

Today I rolled it from the 6 inch edge, squished it down firmly on every roll, but the result is about the same!  The raisins are all gathered in one swirl and there is a big hole where the raisins are.  GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  I am sure someone here can tell me the big mistake I am making! 

I doubt that the recipe would help anyone to help me but it's from "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" and I have had great success with other breads in this book. 

This is bugging so much that I have started another batch of dough in hopes that someone will throw me a life jacket. 

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[Anna N]

Well the second batch of dough is now on its final proof. I followed the tips by reenicake and Panosmex:"rolled out to 18 or so inches, made a paste of the raisins etc. Rolled VERY tightly leaving an inch bare at one end which is now in the middle. I never had soaked the raisins so did not think this an issue. For now, I will avoid the corn starch but may have to resort to it if this one doesn't work. I don't rush the proofing so I don't think it was too speedy or in too hot an environment.

So thanks to both of you and please keep your fingers (and toes) crossed.

[Anna N]

Here's the result - a definite improvement! Not perfect by any means but much better. Thank you for making my Friday a happier day!

Now to find a bread pudding recipe to use up the failed loaves - I hate wasting all that time and FOOD.

[reenicake]

Yay! glad to help. You can freeze the rest and use them for French toast if you have too much to use for bread pudding. When I have too much stale/hard bread I take our son to feed the ducks at a park nearby.

[Bill44]

When I do a raisin loaf I don't soak the raisins and I don't add any butter to the filling. I have found that raisins have enough moisture in them already. What I do to the raisins is put them in a plastic bag with some flour, shake them until they are coated, and then put them in a sieve to shake off the excess flour. I find they bind into the dough without any of the air pockets around them in the baked loaf.

[Anna N]

When I do a raisin loaf I don't soak the raisins and I don't add any butter to the filling. I have found that raisins have enough moisture in them already. What I do to the raisins is put them in a plastic bag with some flour, shake them until they are coated, and then put them in a sieve to shake off the excess flour. I find they bind into the dough without any of the air pockets around them in the baked loaf.

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Must give that a try if I ever feel the need to repeat this experiment! I think I am inclining much more towards bread with raisin throughout!

[Marlene]

I love cinnamon raisin bread. The one thing I always do, is incorporate the raisins into the dough itself before proofing, because otherwise I always have the same problem with raisins clumping together. The paste of butter, sugar and cinnamon makes sense.

[browniebaker]

I never add butter to the filling of sugar, cinnamon, and raisins (not soaked), and I never have a problem with separation. I did have that problem when I made the bread the first few times and did use butter.