Plain Old Raisin Bread

I love raisin bread. I love it toasted and buttered, or just plain. I love it as the bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches. It has an old fashioned goodness that is just fantastic.

Seriously, If you have never tried chicken or turkey salad sandwiches on raisin bread you should. It is awesome. It has to be the good chicken salad though. Chicken breast, pecans, mayo, celery, and grapes. Mmmm.

Anyway.  Raisin bread is fairly easy to make. Normally I don;t put cinnamon and sugar in the middle of it because I want it for sandwiches and so don’t want it to be too sweet. You can, however, put a layer of butter, cinnamon and sugar on it before shaping into a loaf for the Pepperidge Farm type of cinnamon bread.

Yesterday I was making bread and decided to knead in a couple of cups of raisins to one section so that we would have raisin bread for breakfast this morning. It is pretty much gone I think.  Big hit, huh?

You can use this to make all three loaves, or only knead the raisins into part of it.  You can use white, whole wheat or a combination of flours, add nuts, sunflower seeds, or other dried fruits. You can just let it rise once or you can allow it a traditional processing, and let it rise twice.  I told you.  This one is a keeper.

Raisin Sandwich Bread 

Makes 2 Loaves

2 pkgs yeast

1/4 c warm water

1 c milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/3 c sugar or honey

up to 6 cups flour

1 1/2 c raisins

Scald milk. Pour over salt, sugar, and butter and let cool.

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add to milk mixture with 2 1/2 c flour.  Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Beat in raisins and then add flour 1/2 c at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Knead for about 8 minutes or until elastic and smooth.  You can shape into loaves at this point or allow to rise until doubled for a more delicately textured product.

If you have allowed  it to rise: Punch down and shape into loaves.

Place loaves in greased loaf pans.  Rub tops with melted butter.

Allow to rise until the tops are just over the loaf pans.  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes in pans, turn out and allow to cool before slicing.

Images: Marye Audet