RAISIN BREAD

Hauled out the trusty bread bowl.

for a batch of bread. This is one we can't run out of now that I've figured out how to get results I like.

SPICED FIVE GRAIN CEREAL RAISIN BREAD

2 packages active dry yeast

1 ¾ Cup boiling water

1 Cup five grain cereal (used Bob’s Red Mill) rolled cereal not ground

½ Cup brown sugar

1/3 Cup shortening

1 tablespoon salt

5 1/2 to 6 Cups flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon allspice

2 Cups seedless raisins

Put cereal, brown sugar and shortening in a large, heavy duty bowl. Pour the boiling water over the cereal mixture and stir until shortening melts. Allow to cool to less than 110 degrees. Stir in one cup of the flour and the yeast. Mix thoroughly, cover bowl and set aside for one to two hours. The mixture should form a nice, bubbly sponge.

Add the raisins, salt, spices and start working in the flour until the mixture is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out and knead for five minutes or so until all the flour is worked in. If the dough is sticky rub a little oil on your hands and continue. I’m not really going for the smooth, elastic bread dough here.

You can do one of two things now. You can put the dough back in the (now clean, lightly oiled) bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. Then form into two loaves, place in greased loaf pans, cover and allow to rise again until doubled and back for 35 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until the loaves are evenly browned. Take out, put on racks to cool and resist slicing until the loaves have cooled for fifteen or twenty minutes.

Or you can skip the bowl rising and shape the loaves. Allow loaves to rise until doubled and bake according instructions. You’ll get a slightly coarser loaf that still tastes pretty darned good. The cereal pretty much disappears into the bread, just leaves a nice rustic loaf. 

You can slash the tops of the loaves either at an angle or straight down the middle. The hard part is waiting for the bread to cool enough to slice. You can eat this without butter. But, you don't have to. LOL