Have I mentioned that when I need to de-stress, I bake? Oh I have?…sorry, I’ll just have to mention it again. I know some of you probably have the opposite feeling and think baking (with all of its measuring, baking, and timing) is very stressful and overwhelming. All I can say is to try to enjoy yourself, take one step at a time, measure out everything ahead of time, and find the cool-factor in the fact that you just created something!
So I was on the hunt for a great baking recipe that would allow me to spend some quality time in my kitchen instead of staring at my computer screen for hours on end as I do nearly all day, every day. I came across this Cooking Light recipe for Cinnamon-Raisin Bread, which I decided was a fabulous way to clear my head and focus on what was in front of me…making bread from scratch. Plus it did not require the use of a mixer at all, which I thought was pretty nifty, and my house smelled fabulous. A total win, win situation here.
What I really loved about this particular cinnamon-bread recipe, aside from the fact that it looked like it had to be delicious, was the fact that it was a light recipe. There was a total of 2 tablespoons of butter in the entire loaf of bread. Most of the time when you are rolling out dough and putting a layer of cinnamon-sugar on it requires you to slather the bread with melted butter first. Those clever people at Cooking Light have you spray the dough with cooking spray and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let me tell you, friends, it worked like a charm! You have got to try this dish out simply for this technique, if not for the fact that it was delicious!
The raisins in it get plumped up a bit before you use them by soaking them in hot water for about 10 minutes, and then drained well. I was a bit skeptical when it came to kneading the raisins into my dough ball, but once again it came together extremely well. My final bread was gorgeous with its egg white wash over the top that made the bread turn a gorgeous brown color.
Here are a couple of items you should definitely have on hand to make the best bread: a digital thermometer to measure the temperature of the milk before adding the yeast, a decent rolling pin, a ruler (I keep one in the kitchen), and a pastry brush for buttering the pan and applying the egg white wash to the bread.
If you love to bake, you need to make this. If you wished you were a baker, don’t underestimate yourself, and dive into this bread recipe. You will be surprised at how great it comes out. Click here for the step by step instructions, recipe, and nutritional information.
What I was cooking up a year ago: Ah, Wagamama…How I’ve Missed You (And Your Noodle-Ness!)
Sigh…I loved this dish so much I made it twice in one week. This week was a trip down memory lane to one of my fav restaurants, Wagamama, I ate at in London frequently, and the end result was completely fabulous. Do yourself a favor and make this for everyone you love!
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