Sugar Coated Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

I'm longing for road trips. Trips to DC, the North Carolina mountains, the coast, somewhere. With the bright sun on the dashboard and either the quiet companionship of a good book or some cheerful tunes.

Perhaps my favorite things about road trips though are lunch breaks, with a good peanut butter sandwich, apple slices and water.

Some of my fondest memories of trips involve pit stops either at awkward middle of nowhere fast food places or rest stops. I can't forget the time my family inadvertently tried to get on Quantico Marine Corps base three different times - we were just looking for a gas station! There's also the time we met a cat coming home from the Outer Banks. We astutely named her Plymouth after the town the rest stop was in.

So back to the peanut butter sandwiches. What could be better than to have them on cinnamon raisin bread? If you're going on vacay, and don't want to have to eat out every day or go to a grocery store, baking a loaf of the bread the day before will at least help for the lunches.

This loaf is gorgeous with its cinnamon swirl, specks of raisins and sugar coated topping. 

Sugar Coated Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread Adapted from Peter Reinhart (Check out all his fabulous books here)

Ingredients

• 1   3/4 cups bread flour (recommended KAF)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 5/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 5/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance shortening
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/8 cup water 

• 3/4 cup raisins

Cinnamon Swirl/Topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon  

For greasing loaf

• 1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine ingredients from first column - flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cinnamon. 

Once combined, add applesauce, shortening, almond milk and water

Knead dough for 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, incorporate raisins.

Transfer dough to oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours.

Prepare cinnamon swirl topping by mixing sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.

Roll dough into a rectangle, about 10 x 12 inches. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up tightly, pinch ends and transfer to greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, seam side down.

Let rise an additional 2 hours. (Loaf will not rise above pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake loaf for 20 minutes. Rotate pan 180 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the center of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.

Immediately brush loaf with butter and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over loaf. (Tip: Do this over a pan to catch extra butter/cinnamon sugar.)

French Bread + A Sandwich

For years now, I have been making French bread for my family's pasta nights. I don't remember how I came across the recipe, but I did save the website. The other night I had the revelation it would make a great sub. So the next day, I whipped up another batch and served it hot for a Tofurky sandwich making buffet. With the holidays, we can all get sucked into cookies, candies and casseroles. Although they all taste great, sometimes it good to have a lighter day in between. In the following, I will detail the bread and the sandwich.

The first step for the French bread is to mix warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Then mix hot water, oil and additional sugar in a large bowl. To the large bowl, add two cups flour and mix until combined. Once combined, add yeast mixture. It will become very wet. Add another cup of flour and mix until nearly combined. For a minute or so, knead the dough until it comes together. Set aside for one hour.

After dough has risen, transfer to baking sheet. Stretch the dough diagonally across the pan, as seen below. Let rise an additional 30 minutes.

Once risen, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

If you'd like to make a sandwich, cut the bread up in thirds. My loaf was about 15 inches long, so each sandwich was about 5 inches long. Not each was equal, some were thicker than others, but that's OK. Then slice each horizontally, but don't slice all the way through. Then pile in with your favorite toppings. I recommend Vegenaise, Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices, mixed greens and a little cheese.

French Bread Adapted from La Fuji Mama

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tsp salt

• 3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix yeast, warm water and 1/4 tsp sugar in small bowl. Set aside.

Mix hot water, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, oil and salt in large bowl. Add two cups all purpose flour and mix until dough forms. Add yeast mixture. (Mixture will be very wet.) Add one cup flour and mix until dough forms. Let rise for one hour.

Transfer to baking sheet and stretch into long baguette. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

French Bread Tofurky Sandwich - Makes one

Ingredients

• 1 5-inch sub
• 1 tbsp vegenaise
• 3 slices peppered Tofurky
• Handful mixed greens
• 2 slices cheese

Instructions

Slice 5-inch sub horizontally. Spread vegenaise on one half. Pile with Tofurky, cheese and mixed greens.