Cinnamon Raisin Pull-Apart Muffins

YUUMMM!  These are a must-try.  I recommend serving them warm; fresh out of the oven is best but if that is not a possibility the microwave will work just fine.  The directions say to use a stand mixer attachment for kneading the dough, however, if you don't have this attachment, or don't have a stand mixer at all (like me...I know this is hard to believe that a girl who has a baking blog doesn't have a stand mixer, but graduation is right around the corner mom!), you can knead the dough the old-fashioned way, by hand, and it turns out perfectly.  I personally think that the extra little bit of TLC made these taste extra great!

Cinnamon Raisin Pull-Apart Muffins
Source: Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Joy the Baker
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

ground cinnamon and sugar, for coating the dough

For the cinnamon raisin mixture:

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add in the water and oil, and mix together until a dough has formed.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until you have a homogeneous dough, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

Once the dough has doubles, turn it out onto a floured work surface.  Gently deflate the dough with the palms of your hands, form into a ball, and recover loosely with the plastic wrap.  Let sit for about 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, make the cinnamon raisin mixture.  Combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Toss well to combine and then cut the butter into the dry ingredients using two forks or a pastry cutter, until the mixture is crumbly.  Add in the raisins and toss to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease the wells of a muffin pan and dust with flour.  Once the dough has rested, flatten it to about 3/4-inch thick.  Cut into small chunks.  Sprinkle the chunks of dough with a little bit of flour, a handful of granulated sugar and a generous dusting of cinnamon.  Toss to combine well.

Fill the muffin tins halfway with chunks of dough (about 3-4 each).  Top each with some of the cinnamon raisin mixture, then top with the remaining dough chunks, packing lightly.  Sprinkle the tops with a bit more of the cinnamon raisin mixture.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin, and gently scoop out of the muffin tin.