Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I'm always looking for recipes that don't require a lot of effort to make while we're out on long sailing trips.  This is the latest gem added to my "boat book".  It's a mix it, forget it, and bake it event. 

I made a 1/2 recipe loaf and that was perfect for the two of us for breakfast and snacks for a couple days. I baked it in my 8" cast iron skillet, and that coupled with the half loaf size cut the required baking time significantly.

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour. 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm milk

2 tablespoons (28g) butter, softened

1/2 cup (85g) raisins (or chopped dates, dried cranberries, or your favorite dried fruit)

1/2 cup (45g) old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed

1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, we recommend SAF Gold instant yeast for the fastest rise

1/4 to 1/3 cup (57g to 74g) lukewarm water*

3 cups (361g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the ingredients, and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, soft dough.

Round the dough into a ball, and place it in a greased bowl (or let it remain in the bread machine), and let it rise for about 2 hours, or until it's noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the risen dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until it's crowned 1" to 1 1/2" over the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Uncover the risen loaf, brush it with milk or water, and sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar, for extra flavor.

Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, until it's a deep golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil about 10 to 15 minutes before it's done baking.

Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Once it's completely cool, wrap well, and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.