Whole Wheat Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

I've had a craving for cinnamon-raisin bread recently, and just got around to making some.  I started with a tried-and-true whole wheat loaf to make the bread a little healthier.  After the first rise, I gently patted it into a rectangle - this dough is not to soft, so it's really easy to work with.  Then I topped the dough with raisins and a bunch of grinds from the Trader Joe's cinnamon-and-sugar grinder that I recently got (this thing is genius!).  Of course, you can just mix up some cinnamon and sugar yourself if you're not near a Trader Joe's.    The bread baked up soft and delicious, with great flavor.  And, it's not too sweet - you can enjoy this for breakfast with butter, but it also works as the base for a PB & J at lunchtime.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)
Makes 1 loaf

1 recipe soft wheat sandwich bread, made with butter instead of Crisco
3/4 cup raisins
Boiling water
Cinnamon-sugar mix (I used the cinnamon-sugar grinder from Trader Joe's

1. Prepare the dough for the bread up through the first rise.  While the bread is rising, pour boiling water over the raisins until they are covered by a few inches.  Let sit for half an hour or so, and then drain well.
2. Punch down the dough and press into a rectangle as long as your loaf pan.  You shouldn't need flour as the dough is not very sticky.  Sprinkle the raisins over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all the way around.  Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon and sugar - I just did several grinds of the cinnamon-sugar grinder until the raisins looked well-covered.
3. Roll up the dough into a log and press into an oiled loaf pan.  Proceed with the rest of the bread recipe, baking about 5 minutes longer.  Let cool before slicing.

I'm sending this recipe off to Kitchen Bootcamp: Yeast Breads!