Le Bon Petit Chou: Twirly Swirly Delight

There is perhaps nothing more soothing than a piece of cinnamon raisin swirl bread. I don't know what it is about it - it just makes you feel cozy. Flipping through Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From my home to yours", I saw this recipe for cinnamon raisin swirl bread, and I just couldn't resist making a batch (now wishing I had made two batches!). Eaten as a mid-afternoon snack or breakfast item (either with butter or as French toast), this bread is absolutely delicious. Every time I take a bite, I twirl in delight!

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From my home to yours")

Ingredients:

For the bread

2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus one pinch sugar
1 1/4 cup warm whole milk
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one satsuma orange (or clementine or half orange)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

For the swirl

1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup moist raisins (I used a mixture of dark and golden)
3 tbsp butter, softened to spreadable consistency

Directions:

Put yeast in small bowl with a pinch of sugar and stir in 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Let rest for several minutes until bubbly.
In a stand mixer, first fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1 cup milk, butter, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Mix on low speed for two minutes.
Add the salt, egg, vanilla, zest, and nutmeg. Mix for a minute. (Your mixture may look curdly and yucky, but this is fine!)
Add the yeast mixture and beat on medium-low speed for 1 more minute.
Add 2 3/4 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. The dough will be sticky.
Switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining 1 cup flour. Increase the speed to medium and beat the dough for 3 minutes. The dough should come together and almost clean the sides of the bowl. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup more flour (1 tbsp at a time).
Keep beating the dough for another 3 minutes on medium speed until it is smooth and has a "buttery sheen". The dough will be very soft.
Butter a large bowl and turn the dough into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm (78-82 degrees Fahrenheit) place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Once doubled, scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm enough to be rolled out.
Once firm, butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa.
Lightly flour your work surface. Put the dough on the surface and flour the top. Roll the dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
Gently smear 2 tablespoons of butter on the dough with your fingers.
Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the rectangle and scatter the raisins.
Starting from the short side of the dough, roll the dough up snugly.
Fit the dough into the buttered pan, seam side down, tucking the ends under the loaf. Cover the pan loosely with wax paper and let it sit in a warm place for about 45 minutes until the dough rises a little above the edge of the pan.
Once almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush the top of the loaf with it. Put the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake the bread for 20 minutes.
Then, cover the loaf loosely with a foil tent and bake for another 25 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then unmold the bread. Continue to cool the bread to room temperature on the wire rack.
Devour. (With more butter on top!).