FOOD FRIDAY - RAISIN BREAD

“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” - Nelson Mandela
 

It’s All Saints Day today and to celebrate it we baked raisin bread. This is a relatively easy recipe that always turns out well. The secret is to let the dough rise sufficiently in order to have a soft bread.
 

RAISIN BREAD
 

Ingredients
Melted butter, for greasing and brushing
250g plain white flour
250g plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
175mL lukewarm water
100 mL lukewarm milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup sultanas/raisins
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Extra water, for brushing
 

Method

1. Brush a 10 x 20cm loaf pan with the melted butter to lightly grease. Measure all your ingredients.
2. Dissolve the yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt in the lukewarm water and stir to mix. Add a little flour to make a batter. Leave to rise.
3. Add the sugar to the lukewarm milk and dissolve to stir well. Mix with the risen batter.
4. Place the flour, salt and spices in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add the sultanas/raisins.
5. Make a well in the centre and add the batter to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add more warm water to make a very soft dough.
6. Add the oil to the dough and knead to incorporate it, until smooth and elastic.
7. Shape the dough into a ball. Brush a large bowl with the melted butter to grease. Place the dough into the bowl and turn it over to lightly coat the dough surface with the butter.
8. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and then place it in a warm, draught-free place to allow the dough to rise.
9. Leave the dough to prove until it is double its size, between 45-75 minutes at 30˚C. When the dough is ready, it will retain a finger imprint when lightly pressed.
10. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the centre with your fist and knead on a lightly floured surface again for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and elastic and returned to its original size.
11. Preheat oven to 200°C.
12. Punch the dough down and shape into a loaf. Place the dough in the greased loaf pan. Brush lightly with the melted butter. Stand the pan in a warm, draught-free place, as before, for about 30 minutes or until the dough has risen about 1cm about the top of the pan.
13. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
14. Turn the loaf immediately onto a wire rack and allow to cool.Once cool, store the loaf in a well-ventilated place at room temperature.

This post is part of the Food Friday meme,
and also part fo the Food Trip Friday meme.