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1
First things first, in the bowl of a stand mixer stir together the water, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and the yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is nice and bubbly (and your kitchen is smelling like heaven).
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2
Meanwhile whisk together the milk, egg, egg white, and salt and set aside.
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3
Once the yeast is foamy stir in the milk mixture, and then mix in the raisins and 4 tablespoons of butter. NOTE: the butter is not melted, so it will appear sort of chunky. Don't worry-the flour will take care of it!
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4
Once all of those ingredients are mixed together, turn the mixer on low and add 3 cups of the flour. Once it's almost combined continue adding the flour in 1/4-cup increments until you have a stiff dough that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
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5
Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead for about 3-4 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. Coat the same mixing bowl in a little oil and add the dough back into it, turning to coat the dough with the oil. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place (I put mine on top of my dryer while it was running) for about 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
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6
Once the dough has risen, cut it in half and roll each half out into a 9x13-inch square. Brush each square with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle each one with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Roll them up very tightly; place each one in a well-greased 9x5 pan.
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7
Cover with a damp towel and allow the loaves to rise for another 45-60 minutes until you have a nice rounded top. In the last few minutes of rising, preheat your oven to 350 F.
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8
Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes or until done. The best tip I've ever heard for this is to knock on the side of the pan; if it sounds hollow then it's done! When done, remove the bread from the oven. Immediately and carefully remove the loaves from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. DEVOUR!
