Cinnamon Raisin Bread

As we get more and more settled into our new house, we are coming up with out own traditions, routines, etc. One such activity has recently included baking a fresh loaf of bread in my bread machine every Sunday evening.  So far we have made pumpkin beer bread and the most sinful loaf of brioche. This week's bread of choice? Cinnamon Raisin Bread. I'm not a big fan of raisins myself, but what the boy wants, the boy gets. Each week is like a let's-dump-everything-into-the-machine-and-hope-it-comes-out. And magically enough we are 3 for 3. I was a bit nervous watching this one cook, as I would occasionally sneak a peek, and it continuously looked like the same flat blob, until about 20 minutes before the baking cycle ended, in which the bread rose, cooked, and filled our house with the most glorious cinnamon scent. I'll bake bread every week for the smell alone!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 3 tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 cup raisins

 Place all ingredients (except for the raisins) into your bread maker in the order instructed (make sure to not let the yeast touch the cinnamon; this may cause your bread not to rise).

Choose the sweet setting and the medium crust option. Once the 2nd knead cycle has started, wait 10 minutes before adding in the raisins (or when the bread machine beeps at you to add your add-ins).

Once the bread is finished cooking, remove form the bread maker (carefully) and allow it to cool on the counter before storing in an airtight container for up to 5days.