I hardly ever give 5 stars, because i find I usually have to add or change something in the recipe to make it really good. This one is great the way it is, and is easy enough to change around to fit my mood and appetite.
I like to soak my raisins in apple cider and cloves for a little while before I make the bread. Not until the raisins are really plump, but enough to start softening that up a bit. I then use the left over liquid in place of some (or all) of the water used to start the yeast. the yeast is ready in no time and this adds a little more flavor. I also prefer brown sugar to white for both the sugar in the dough and in the filling. I also replace 1 cup of white flour with wheat for texture an color and add about 1 tsp of whey powder for each cup of flour I use.
I roll out the dough to less than 1/2 inch so that i get more layers of swirl. I usually end up using more cinnamon and brown sugar than the recipe calls for, and add a bit of nutmeg as well.
I know every oven is different. I'm at sealevel and have found 40 minutes to be just about right, covering with foil for the last 15-20 minutes. I sometimes get some dripping from the pans while baking, so I put a pan underneath.
My family loves this bread, and those i have shared it with have also given it high marks.
Works great for cinnamon rolls too. I use this Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Butter-Cream-Frosting-232945
Was this review helpful?
[
YES
]
6 users found this review helpful