Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into 1/4 cup warm water—like very warm bath water; 100 - 110 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Set aside for 8 - 10 minutes until foamy.

Meanwhile, put 3 cups of flour in the bowl of your stand mixer, and make a well in the center. Add oil, eggs, honey, salt, and 1/4 cup lukewarm water. (Have an additional 1/4 cup of lukewarm water standing by.) Add yeast mixture and mix on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until combined and smooth.

Scrape the paddle and the bowl and change to the dough hook. The dough should be soft and a little sticky. If the dough is too dry and the flour isn't getting incorporated, add a little more warm water. If the dough is too wet and sticky and doesn't form a ball that cleans the sides of the bowl, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until fully incorporated. Don't add too much flour or your dough will be heavy. Scrape the dough from the bottom of the bowl as needed.

Once the dough forms a loose ball around the hook, increase speed (Cuisinart #3) and knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Knead in the raisins, 1/4 cup at a time, until evenly distributed.

Pour about a teaspoon of oil into a large bowl and wipe with a paper towel to distribute evenly.

Remove dough from mixing bowl and fold over to form a ball. If necessary, knead the dough a couple of times on the counter to smooth it out. Place in the greased bowl and turn once to oil the top.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draught-free place for 1 - 2 hours until doubled in size; you can tell by lightly poking 2 fingers into it and it doesn't spring right back.

Punch down the dough by plunging your fist into the center, and then fold the outside edges into the middle to get rid of all the air.

Using your hands, roll on the counter into one long, thick rope; about 32 inches long. Hold one end in one hand and gently pull and stretch the other end to help it reach the desired length. Taper the ends a little, making it fatter in the middle.

Coil up loosely like a snail, starting from the center and working outwards and place on prepared baking sheet. Tuck the end under and pinch to secure. Push down to flatten a little if the middle is too tall.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise till doubled, about one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush all over gently with egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown; it should sound hollow when you tap it lightly. An instant read thermometer should register 190 degrees F.

Check after about 20 minutes and if browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Transfer parchment immediately to a wire rack to cool.