Here's a recipe that reminds me of home when my mom would toast raisin bread for us for breakfast. It's wonderfully delicious with a subtle sourdough tang mixed with sweet cinnamon.
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Using a knife and cutting board, chop raisins into small pieces.
In a large mixing bowl and using a dough hook, mix together the fed sourdough starter, warm water, softened butter, granulated sugar, instant dry milk, salt, and instant yeast.
Add in 2 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour along with the chopped raisins. Mix to combine. Knead the dough 5-7 minutes, using as much of the remaining cup of all-purpose flour as needed to form a smooth dough. Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with baking spray. Allow to rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
If you have opted not to include the instant yeast, you will need to go through the stretch and fold process every 30-40 minutes to build up the natural gluten in the dough. You should also expect longer rising times.
At this point, you may refrigerate the dough until ready to use, up to 24 hours, or continue on to the next step.
Shape the Dough
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to set out for 40-60 minutes. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with baking spray.Prepare egg wash and set aside until ready to use. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, and ground cinnamon.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat out into a 5" x 18" rectangle. You may use a rolling pin for this, if desired.
Using a pastry brush, spread the egg wash over the dough. Then generously sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon mixture up to an inch from the edges. Starting at one short edge, firmly roll the dough into a log, pinching the edges and ends to seal.
Place the dough seam side down into the prepared loaf pan. Allow to rise 60-90 minutes until it is puffy and has nearly doubled. If you've opted not to include instant yeast, your rising time may be 2-3 hours, depending on the room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and turn bread out onto a wire rack to cool. Makes 1 loaf.
Notes
*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter used on this recipe site is salted.