B is for Bread

I first saw this recipe on Annie's blog a few months ago. It looked wonderful and I bookmarked the recipe so I could make it. Well I never got around to it. Then I saw it on Katie and Chelle's blogs and decided that I was sick of waiting and I needed to make it soon. Today was the day.

The only change that I made to the recipe was that I used all dark raisins because I did not have any golden. Other than that this recipe was perfect. It did not take all the flour called for, it rose perfectly, and it tastes amazing. I am excited for the morning so I can toast a slice and have it for breakfast. *update* Annie left me a comment saying that this bread did in fact make a great toast and she was right, it was wonderful!!!


Brown Sugar-Raisin Bread
(Source: Williams-Sonoma)

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (105° to 115°F)
1 cup warm milk (105° to 115°F)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbs. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 to 6 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup dark raisins

For the filling:
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
mixed with 4 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of the granulated sugar over 1⁄2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the remaining 3/4 cup water, the milk, butter, the remaining granulated sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and 1⁄2 cup of the flour and beat for 1 minute. Add the raisins, then beat in the remaining flour, 1⁄2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed, adding flour 1 Tbs. at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased deep bowl and turn to coat it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours.

Lightly grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each half into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Lightly sprinkle each rectangle with half of the filling, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Beginning at a narrow end, tightly roll up each rectangle into a compact log. Pinch the ends and the long seam to seal in the filling. Place each log, seam side down, in a prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is about 1 inch above the rim of each pan, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the loaves out onto wire racks and let cool completely. Makes two 9-by-5-inch loaves.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,Bread,by Beth Hensperger (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).