For the dough:
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk about 110 F
2 pounds all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 beaten egg for top of bread and filling
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Filling:
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Make the dough:
In the bowl of an electric mixer sprinkle east over warm milk. Whisk to combine. Add flour, butter, sugar, 2 eggs, and salt. Mix until well combined about 3 minutes. Raise speed for another 3 minutes until dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.
Turn dough out on floured surface. Pat out dough into a 9 inch round. Sprinkle with cinnamon and raisins. Knead until incorporated.
Place in large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to double in size. About 1 hour.
After remove from bowl and knead one more time. Place the dough back in bowl and allow to rise again for a second hour.
Make the filling: combine sugar and cinnamon and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Return dough to floured surface and divide in half. Roll out one half into a rectangle fold in sides brush with beaten egg and add half of the filling. Do the same to the other half of dough.Generously butter two loaf pans and set aside. Roll dough and filling towards you to shape your loaf. Place in greased loaf pans seam side down. Allow to raise above rim of loaf pan about 45 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 F
Brush top of loafs with beaten egg and transfer to oven. Bake rotating half way through. If tops begin to brown too quickly then tent with aluminum foil. Turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool before cutting (if you can wait that long) Bread will last up to 4 days in Plastic container
Enjoy anytime of day.This recipe was given to me by my good friend Kristie. I think she found it in a book called Yeasted Baked Goods
