Cinnamon Craisin Oat Bread

Delicious!

I have loved cinnamon raisin bread ever since I can remember. It was always a special treat when we would visit my grandparents, who happened to live just up the road from us. I've wanted to attempt making some for quite a while now and today was the day, since I was out of bread and didn't want to take the time to load 4 kids in a minivan and run to the store for some. I didn't have any raisins on hand but had just picked up some craisins on Friday so I decided to try my own variation on the traditional cinnamon raisin bread.

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar, divided 
• 1 tablespoon yeast (or even quick-rise yeast)
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

This is where I deviate from most bread recipes. With there being a time factor in my house, I use my bread machine to do all the mixing and the first rising. So...

1. In the bottom of your bread pan, combine water, 2 tablespoons oil,  2 tablespoons sugar, and yeast. Top with flour, flax seed meal, oats, and craisins; then add salt. Set your bread machine for dough and press 'Start'.
2. Allow the dough to go through the first rise and deflate cycle (roughly 30 minutes). Then empty dough out onto a floured surface, knead, and divide into two equal pieces.
3. Roll out the first piece into a 7"x12" rectangle. Rub with 1 teaspoon coconut oil; sprinkle liberally with cinnamon/sugar mixture (1 tablespoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon sugar per loaf). Roll the dough up jelly roll style and pinch seams closed. Repeat with second piece of dough.
4. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes (even less if you are using quick-rise yeast). 
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bottoms of the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans, brush with butter or coconut oil, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
6. Slice and enjoy!

rolled out and brushed with coconut oil

after tasting the bread, I would definitely use more cinnamon than  in this photo
(I've updated the recipe to reflect this)

rolling up jelly-roll style

pinch the seams closed

sitting in the greased pans

taking a "nap" under the warm, damp "blanket"

doubled in size and ready to bake

baked and brushed with coconut oil

cooling

YUMMY!!