Hearty Raisin Bread Food

WORLD'S BEST CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD (NOT BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small sauce pan on the stove until it just starts to bubble, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Let cool until lukewarm, about 120-125 degrees.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside until yeast is frothy, about 10 minutes or so (make sure your water is at the correct temperature or the yeast won't activate.) Then mix in eggs, sugar, butter salt and raisins (stir in the cooled milk slowly so you don't cook the eggs.) Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth.
• Place in a large, buttered, mixing bowl and turn to grease the surface of the dough.
• Cover with a warm, damp cloth and let rise (I like to let my bread rise in the oven with the light on. It has just the right amount of heat and keeps the bread out of drafts.) Allow to rise until doubled, usually about 1 1/2 hours.
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick.
• Moisten the dough with 2 tablespoons milk and rub all over the dough with your hands.
• Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the moistened dough.
• Roll up tightly (the long way).
• The roll should be about 3 inches in diameter.
• Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends and pinch bottom together.
• Place loaves into well greased (you can use Crisco or butter for this) 9 x 5 inch pans and lightly grease tops of loaves.
• Let rise in warm place, uncovered, again for about an hour.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.
• Remove from oven and let cool on rack.
• Take melted butter and spread over tops of loaves.
• After about 20 minutes, lay loaves on their sides and remove from pans.
• Allow to cool before slicing.

CRUSTY HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 3-1/2 cups flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise at room temperature 1 hour., Stir down dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; with floured hands pat into a 9-in. square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9x3-in. rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-in. square. Place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough and repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl; refrigerate, covered, overnight., Grease the bottom of a disposable foil roasting pan with sides at least 4 in. high; dust pan with cornmeal. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently 6-8 times; shape into a 6-in. round loaf. Place into prepared pan; dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Cover pan and let rise at room temperature until dough expands to a 7-1/2-in. loaf, about 1-1/4 hours. , Preheat oven to 500°. Using a sharp knife, make a slash (1/4 in. deep) across top of loaf. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lowest oven rack 25 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 450°. Remove foil; bake bread until deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool.

RAISIN WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select wheat bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

THE BOY WITH THE BREAD: HEARTY RAISIN NUT BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.
• 2. Place raisins in a bowl of tepid tap water. Let soak until needed.
• 3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• 4. Grease two 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pans.
• 5. Punch dough down. Turn out onto the lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and walnuts and knead them in. Divide dough in half.
• 6. Roll dough into loaves, keeping raisins folded inside.
• 7. Place loaves into greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
• 8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• 9. Beat egg white and cold water; brush over loaves.
• 10. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown. If top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
• 11. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

HEALTHY RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter an 8" loaf pan and dust with flour.
• Place flours and the salt in a large bowl.
• Sift in baking soda and mix well.
• Stir in raisins.
• In a separate bowl, mix the milk, buttermilk, honey and molasses together. Add in oil if using.
• Add liquid mixture to the dry mixture, stir.
• Turn into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
• With the back of a spoon, make a trench doen the length of the loaf.
• Bake for about 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
• Turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups water and 3 tablespoons honey. Whisk flour with salt; add 3 cups to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Mix in 1 cup raisins. Add remaining 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll out each dough half into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle (about 8 by 10 inches); lightly brush with water, and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Starting with 1 short side, tightly roll dough into a log. Seal edges with fingertips, and tuck ends under. Transfer dough, seam side down, to pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush each loaf with butter, or dust with flour for a rustic look. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape loaves with plastic. Let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Soak raisins beforehand in some warm water.
• In a large bowl, combine all the white flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, and cinnamon.
• In another bowl, mix warm water and canola oil.
• Gradually add warm water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat together, then stir in raisins and whole wheat flour. Stir until mixture is consistent.
• Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
• Divide into 3 balls and place in loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm, place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until done.
• Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Brush with melted butter.

HEARTY OAT & WALNUT BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place ingredients in machine according to your manufacturer's directions.

HEARTY OATMEAL RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Heat water nearly to boiling.
• Combine oats, molasses, brown sugar, shortening, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour hot water over mixture; cool this mixture to lukewarm.
• Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and let stand for 10 minutes; add to oat mixture.
• Beat in 2 cups whole wheat flour and beat; then stir in remaining 1 cup and enough all-purpose flour for dough to leave sides of bowl.
• Knead 10-12 minutes, adding flour to make dough smooth. Add raisins (I add with the flour).
• Shape into a ball; rise until double, punch down and put into pans.
• Rise again, then bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then at 350°F for 45 minutes or until done.