This raisin cinnamon pinwheel is a baked delight that we have enjoyed at the holidays for many years. We think it is best served sliced, warm, and with a spread of butter.
Cinnamon Raisin Pinwheel Ingredients
This recipe results in two cinnamon raisin pinwheels. For the making the dough, you will need yeast, water, scalded milk, sugar, butter, flour, 2 eggs, and salt. A special note on yeast, make sure you are finding active dry yeast and not rapid rise yeast.
Inside the pinwheel, you will need butter, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins for the filling.
And finally for the glaze, you will need powdered sugar & milk. For flavor, you can also add a small amount vanilla extract.
Making the Pinwheel
For making the dough:
First, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 C warm water. Note, that you can test yeast by adding ½ tsp of sugar to the warm water/yeast mixture. If the yeast is ‘active’ it should bubble up within 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t, you need new yeast.
Then, combine milk, sugar, salt and butter in a pan on the stove (over low heat) and warm enough to melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm. Next, pour the cooled mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 C flour until combined. After the flour is incorporated, add eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add yeast water and remaining flour and mix until a dough ball forms.
Now you can turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes. As you knead it, you can add small portions of flour until the dough is no longer sticking to your hands or the surface you’re using.
Letting the dough rise:
Next you can place the dough into an oiled bowl, (use cooking spray or a little butter), and then cover with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled (about 1 hour). In an unheated oven with the oven light on is a great spot in cool kitchens.
Once it’s doubled in bulk, punch dough down and let rise again until doubled, perhaps another hour.
After the second phase of rising, divide dough in half, and place on floured surface. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Forming the pinwheel:
Next, roll each half into a 9 X 13 shape to 1/4 inch thick. Brush melted (but not hot) butter onto the rolled-out dough, then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.
Beginning on the longer edge, roll up the dough, pinching the edge together with the roll to seal. Turn that edge under and shape the roll into a ring. Then, place the shaped ring onto a separate oiled baking sheet. (You may use lightly oiled parchment covered baking sheets). At this point, make sure to pinch the two ends of the roll together, again making sure the sealed edge is down.
Now, beginning from the place where the two ends are joined, at 1 ½” intervals, snip the outside edge of the dough ring 2/3 of the way through (toward the middle of the ring), all the way around the ring. Kitchen scissors work well for this – there should be about 8-9 cuts. Then, twist each section to the side, exposing the cinnamon filling of the dough spirals. This creates the ‘pinwheel’ look. See photo shown.
Repeat this process with the other rolled out dough to make the second pinwheel ring.
The final rise!
Cover with towel and let rise again 45 minutes. While pinwheels are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Frosting is optional once the pinwheels have cooled.
Preparing the frosting glaze
Pour 1 cup powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add 2 T milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk until all sugar is dissolved. Use a spoon to drizzle desired frosting on top of each cooled pinwheel.
Serving Suggestions and Tips
We have always enjoyed this cinnamon raising pinwheel at breakfast time. It is also a delicious afternoon snack served with coffee (try this Chocolate Liqueur Coffee or this Spiced Vanilla Cinnamon Coffee Creamer ) and with friends.
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Cinnamon Raisin Pinwheel
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
This raisin cinnamon pinwheel is a baked delight that we have enjoyed at the holidays for many years.
Ingredients
Making the dough
- 1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) dry active yeast,
- 1/4 C water
- 3/4 C scalded milk
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1/3 C butter
- 4 – 4 1/2 C flour,
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling:
- 2 T butter
- 1/2 C sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 C raisins
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 – 2 T milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For making the dough:
- Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 C warm water. Note, that you can test yeast by adding ½ tsp of sugar to the warm water/yeast mixture. If the yeast is ‘active’ it should bubble up within 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t, you need new yeast.
- Combine milk, sugar, salt and butter in a pan on the stove (over low heat) and warm enough to melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm.
- Pour the cooled mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 C flour until combined.
- After the flour is incorporated, add eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Add yeast water and remaining flour and mix until a dough ball forms.
- Now you can turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes. As you knead it, you can add small portions of flour until the dough is no longer sticking to your hands or the surface you’re using.
Letting the dough rise:
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl, (use cooking spray or a little butter), and then cover with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled (about 1 hour). In an unheated oven with the oven light on is a great spot in cool kitchens.
- Once it’s doubled in bulk, punch dough down and let rise again until doubled, perhaps another hour.
- After the second phase of rising, divide dough in half, and place on floured surface. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Forming the pinwheel:
- Next, roll each half into a 9 X 13 shape to 1/4 inch thick.
- Brush melted (but not hot) butter onto the rolled-out dough, then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.
- Beginning on the longer edge, roll up the dough, pinching the edge together with the roll to seal. Turn that edge under and shape the roll into a ring.
- Then, place the shaped ring onto a separate oiled baking sheet. (You may use lightly oiled parchment covered baking sheets).
- At this point, make sure to pinch the two ends of the roll together, again making sure the sealed edge is down.
- Now, beginning from the place where the two ends are joined, at 1 ½” intervals, snip the outside edge of the dough ring 2/3 of the way through (toward the middle of the ring), all the way around the ring. Kitchen scissors work well for this – there should be about 8-9 cuts.
- Then, twist each section to the side, exposing the cinnamon filling of the dough spirals. This creates the ‘pinwheel’ look.
- Repeat this process with the other rolled out dough to make the second pinwheel ring.
The final rise:
- Cover with towel and let rise again 45 minutes.
- While pinwheels are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Frosting is optional once the pinwheels have cooled.
Preparing the frosting glaze:
- Make sure the pinwheels have cooled before preparing the glaze as the glaze will harden if mixed too early.
- Pour 1 cup powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl.
- Add 2 T milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
- Whisk until all sugar is dissolved.
- Use a spoon to drizzle desired frosting on top of each cooled pinwheel.
Notes
- A special note on yeast, make sure you are finding active dry yeast and not rapid rise yeast.
- Do not make the frosting glaze in advance. Wait until the pinwheel has cooled to prepare the glaze and drizzle it over the top.
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
This cinnamon bread recipe is very tasty (and pretty) when finished. It makes a lovely holiday bread or just any special breakfast treat!