A bit of a “controversial” Breakfast item this week as I know that many people aren’t fans of raisins. I love raisins and along with dill pickles, they were some of the very first things that my grandfather would give me as a treat when I was little (I don’t know what is stranger, pickles or raisins, to be honest). Combine that with “swirls” (or Schnecken, which translated is “snails” from the German) and we have one of my favorite breakfast treats. My Oma used to call me ‘schneckle’ or little snail. 🙂
Ingredients
for the dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) ripe sourdough starter
1 cup milk, warmed to between 100-110F
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
for the filling
1 1/2 cups golden raisins, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 egg, slightly beaten
for baking and decorating
2 tablespoons milk, for milk wash
pearl sugar for decorating (optional)
Directions
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle. Heat milk and butter, combine with your sourdough starter, and pour into the well. Add egg and mix until fully combined. Turn out onto a well-floured counter and knead until you have cohesive dough. It should be fairly soft and supple. Set aside in a warm, draft free place for a couple of hours in a greased bowl until it has doubled in size.
In the meantime, make the filling. In a food processor, puree one cup of the raisins to a paste (leaving the raisins whole). Combine raisin paste, milk, honey, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat until thick, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Add corn starch slurry and let come to a complete boil. Cool thoroughly before using.
Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough and sprinkle on remaining whole raisins. Roll it up jellyroll style. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into slices and space the slices out on the prepared baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Cover loosely with a clean dishtowel and let rise for an additional 20-30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush each swirl with the milk wash and sprinkle on some pearl sugar, if using. Bake for 20-24 minutes.
Remove the swirls from the baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool.
