To Make the Dough:
In a small bowl, combine yeast and a few tablespoons of lukewarm water to activate the yeast. The yeast will bubble and froth and you’ll know it’s alive and ready to bake with. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, measure your flour accurately by weighing it or by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off.
Combining dough ingredients: start with the flour, salt, and sugar. Followed by butter, milk powder, mashed potato and the activated yeast mixture. Mix and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. On a mixer, this will take about 7-8 minutes. If you’re making this by hand, a solid 8 minutes of kneading. Add water or flour as needed to achieve the right consistency – the dough will be rather tacky. It should stick to the bottom of the bowl, gather mostly around the dough hook, but stick to the sides of the bowl a bit too. Add more flour as necessary, but go easy—too much, and your bread might feel a bit like a doorstop. Once near the end of kneading, add the raisins and continue to knead until thoroughly mixed.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise at room temperature until it’s puffed and nearly doubled in size. This should take about an hour, but if you kneaded by hand, it might need a little extra love (aka time).
To Make the Filling:
While the dough rises, stir together the sugars, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and flour in a small bowl.
To Fill and Shape the Bread:
Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Knead to smooth. Reflour the surface and pat and stretch it into a 6” x 20” rectangle—think yoga for dough.
Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the surface like you’re sprinkling magic dust. It will feel like a lot of filling which… it is.
Starting at one short end, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the ends and the seam to seal. Place the dough seam-side down into a greased 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise until it crests about 1” over the rim of the pan. This might take about an hour, or a little longer if your kitchen is chilly. Cue up a good podcast or a cup of tea while you wait.
To Bake the Bread:
Preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough does its thing.
Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and tent it with foil after the first 30 minutes to avoid a too-tan crust. The bread’s crust should be golden brown, and the inside should register 190°F on a thermometer (a little bread tech moment).
Remove the bread from the oven. Loosen the edges with a butterknife, then turn the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. If you’re feeling fancy, brush the top with butter for a soft, glossy crust.
Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. And yes, the waiting is hard, but it’s worth it.
Wrap the bread tightly and store it at room temperature for several days (if it lasts that long!). For longer storage, freeze it—future you will thank you.
