Cinnamon Chip Bread

I love the Cinnamon Chip Bread at Great Harvest Bread Company.  A few years ago, someone made this cinnamon raisin bread for a cooking class at church and I thought it was pretty close to Cinnamon Chip Bread.  I held on the the recipe, and finally, several years later (and after discovering cinnamon chips at a local fancy grocery store) I'm trying out the recipe.  The original recipe calls for raisins (I omitted them).  And I added cinnamon chips to the recipe.  Sorry I can't credit it... I'm sure it's from somewhere but all I have is a typed up handout from the class.

 

Cinnamon Chip Bread
1 package dry yeast (not rapid rise)
3 oz. water
1 1/2 TBSP shortening
1 1/3 cups warm water
4-5 cups flour
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 TBSP salt

1 TBSP water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cinnamon chips

Dissolve yeast in 3 oz. warm water.  In a mixer, mix all ingredients together with half of the flour. Add raisins (if you are including raisins).  Add remaining flour and knead on a floured board until smooth and elastic, about ten minutes.  (I just put my mixer on the knead setting for about 10 minutes.)  Cover and let rise until double.  Roll out a rectangle (18x9).  Sprinkle with 1 TBSP water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup cinnamon chips.  Roll up as a jelly roll and fold ends under.  Place in greased bread pan.  Let rise again.  Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pans and rub top with butter and dust with cinnamon/sugar.  Cool.  1 Loaf.

Easily doubled, I actually cut the recipe in half for me (and you) because I can't fit 9-10 cups of flour in my mixer.

Review: This is good cinnamon bread.  My rectangle didn't measure 18x9 because I skimmed that part and just read "rectangle."  Mine was probably 18x16 and that made it so I literally folded each end under so they met in the middle and doubled the height of my bread.  Then, because of that, it rose strange so I think the cinnamon would be more evenly distributed (and making a more lovely cinnamon swirl when the bread is cut into) if I'd had a smaller rectangle.  And I think next time I'll add more cinnamon chips.   Is it just like Great Harvest's?  No.  I haven't had Great Harvest Cinnamon Chip Bread in a few years, but it seems much more moist and cinnamon sugary.   But it's still yummy!