We like it either way – fresh and warm, right from the oven and the next day, toasted and generously buttered. It’s not even close to a store-bought raisin bread, but much more flavorful.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened + 2 tbsp softened + 1 tbsp melted
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar divided (1 tbsp ground cinnamon mixed into 3 tbsp granulated sugar)
- 2 cups of raisins
Preparation:
Plump the raisins. Put them in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the simmer over med/high heat. Drain, blot with a paper towel, set aside.
Combine all the ingredients, except the cinnamon sugar, 3tbs butter and the raisins, in the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook or in a mixing bowl.
Mix on slow speed for 1 min, then on medium speed for 8 min. If mixing by hand, stir the ingredients till they form a ball and knead for 10-12 min. The dough should be soft and smooth.
Fold in the raisins.
Put the dough in a bowl sprayed with oil, turn the dough, so, the both sides are lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough increases about 1 1/2 times in size, 60-90 min.
Lightly dust a working surface with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
Smudge the dough with 2 tbsp butter, sprinkle with 2 tbsp of cinnamon sugar. Roll up the dough like a jelly roll, pinch the ends and the seam closed, and placed the loaf in a greased or parchment lined 5 by 9-inch loaf pan. Mist the top with cooking spray, cover with plastic, and allow it to rise in a warm place till almost doubled in size.
Preheat an oven to 350 F. Bake the loaf for about 40 min, till it is golden brown and makes a hollow sound. If the top gets brown too soon, cover it loosely with foil.
Remove from the pan, brush the top with 1tbsp melted butter, sprinkle with 2 tbsp of cinnamon sugar.
September 22, 2014 at 3:46 am
Forgot to say: I use 60 g (1/4) Armagnac for every 160 g (cup) of raisins. Keep the lid on for the first 30 seconds or so, then take it off, and stir well with a wooden spoon. Stir again several times and keep a sharp eye on the pot until it’s almost dry. If you’re using a gas stove, don’t worry if the alcohol catches the flame and starts doing you some flambeed raisins. Just keep stirring from time to time, it’ll soon burn off.
September 22, 2014 at 12:05 am
Here’s a suggestion: Instead of throwing out all that lovely raisin juice, why don’t you plump them in brandy or so, simmering them until just before the pan goes dry, then taking them off the flame. They’ll dry in the pan while you’re making the bread. Scrummy! (As they say here in the UK)