Cinnamon Raisin Bread

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (I only used one)
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup raisins
8 cups all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I used cinnamon plus blend)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm. (I just warmed it in the microwave.)

Dissolve yeast in warm water, and set aside until yeast is frothy. Mix in eggs, sugar, butter or margarine, salt, and raisins. Stir in cooled milk. Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough. (I used my kitchen aid mixer to mix the eggs, sugar, butter, salt and raisins. Then I added the milk, yeast and bread flour)

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl, and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled. (I covered the bowl with press and seal.)

Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Moisten dough with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the moistened dough. Roll up tightly; the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends. Place loaves into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans. Lightly grease tops of loaves. Let rise again for 1 hour. (I put one in a loaf stone, one in a ceramic loaf pan, and then one in a metal baking loaf pan.)

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter or margarine. Let cool before slicing. (I used my convection microwave to cook these. I read that 30 minutes should be enough time on the allrecipes.com website, but it definitely needed the full 45. When I took it out at 30 minutes it was "doughy" inside.)

The loaf cooked in the stone was the best. They call cooked fine though. Yum.