Raisin Bread

I've gotten some requests, so here it is. My raisin bread recipe.

My Edible Yard Urban Homestead Raisin Bread

Raisin bread, toasty hot out of the oven with melting butter.

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup scalded milk
2-1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon butter, melted, for brushing top (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon honey. Let sit for 10 minutes until frothy. Meanwhile in stand mixer bowl, combine raisins, butter, honey, cinnamon, salt, and hot milk, mixing till honey is dissolved. Let mixture cool to lukewarm. Mix in 1-1/2 cups of the bread flour. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs. Mix to blend well. Add the rest of the flour, bread and white whole wheat, and mix well. All flour should be incorporated (if needed, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl). It should form a soft but stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 1-2 minutes. Shape into a ball and place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover with a clean, damp towel and let stand in a draft-free warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch dough down, shape into loaf and place in a buttered loaf pan. Cover with damp towel again, and let rise until dough is about an inch above the top of the loaf pan, almost double in size. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, covering with foil if bread is getting too brown. Remove from pan, brush top of loaf with melted butter, and let cool on a rack.

This bread is great warm out of the oven with butter and a great breakfast treat toasted, too, but try making a smoked turkey or grilled cheese sandwich with it. Delicious!

Makes one 8.5" x 4.5" loaf.