Raisin Bread

This tastes more like a sweet roll than a bread.  I got this recipe off the internet a few years ago when my DH insisited he wanted me to make raisin bread.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 ½ cups milk

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening

2 pkg yeast

½ cup warm water

2 eggs

6-7 cups flour

2 tsp salt

3 cups raisins

4 tbsp melted butter

¾ cup brown sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

Combine milk, sugar, and shortening; heat until dissolved. Cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, add yeast to warm water.  Let sit about 5 minutes.  Combine yeast, milk mixture, and beaten eggs.  Combine flour and salt.  Beat half the flour into yeast mixture.  Cover and let rise 1 - 1 ½ hours until light and spongy.  Stir rest of flour into dough.  Knead, adding raisins gradually.  Divide dough in half.  Let rise until double, about 1-1 ½ hours.

Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pat dough into a 7 x 18 inch rectangle.  Spread it with melted butter, then with brown sugar mixture.  Roll loaf tightly from short end.  Let rise until double, about 35 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Cover with foil when top is lightly browned, after about 20 minutes.