Cinnamon raisin bread is sweet and soft with swirls of cinnamon, sugar, and plump raisins. A family favorite comfort bread that you will want to make every weekend.
Put the raisins in a small bowl filled with hot water. Let the raisins plump up, about 10 minutes. Strain them through a fine mesh strainer but save the raisin water.
Pour a cup of warm raising water into the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl. (Note: if the water cooled down, warm it up a little more. Water should be a little warmer than room temperature but not hot. Make sure there is 1 cup of water.)
Add yeast to water and stir gently. Give it a about 10 minutes for the yeast to bloom and then stir.
Stir warmed milk, melted butter, and salt into the water.
Add 5 1/2 cups of the flour and cinnamon and mix on low to form a shaggy dough.
Switch to a dough hook and knead in your mixer on low speed with the dough hook (or knead by hand for 8-10 minutes to form a smooth, slightly tacky dough). If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
With the mixer on low, gradually add raisins to the dough and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed.
Cover bowl with a plastic wrap or a towel and place in the warm dry place. Let rise for about an hour.
Divide the dough into two even pieces. Roll the dough out on the counter. Make sure that the dough is a little less wide that your loaf pan. Try to make the dough about 1/6th to 1/8th of an inch think.
Brush the entire surface of the dough with egg.
Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and mix completely. Sprinkle the dough generously with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Roll up the dough and place it in the greased loaf pan, seam side down.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Cover the pans with a towel and let the loaves rise until mounded over the top, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar over the top.
Preheat the oven to 375° while the dough is rising.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. You can check internal temperature of the dough in the center. Bread is ready when it reaches 190° internal temperature. (Note, bread baked in smaller pans will take a few minutes longer than wider pans.)
Take the loaves out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature before taking out and slicing.