Cinnamon Raisin bread with Cardamom Raisins
When I started making bread many years ago, it was plain French bread. It was good, I made it every week. My boss’s wife even insisted that I have a professional stand mixer that I got for Christmas. Wow, that machine worked, and worked and worked! Then, I had more stuff to do, volunteering, a new job, a new boyfriend, etc. Bread making kind of went out the window. I still had the mixer though, and it was doing duty mixing up meatloaf and the occasional cake.
A long time later, my mixer was about 15 or 20 years old, in the middle of mixing a batch of frosting, it made a horrible grinding noise and I saw that the bolt on the top of the machine was gone! It did a lot of damage to the motor, and my trusty mixer was kaput.
Oddly enough, my food processor, that had once proudly stood at the ready at a local restaurant, also breathed its last breath. It took me some time to thoroughly check food processors, especially when the “S” blade of the Cuisinart was recalled. Finally, I found a great food processor, a Braun, available on Amazon (I’m not being compensated, just like the product). But, as great as this machine is, I still let my KitchenAid do the heavy lifting for stiff doughs like bread dough, pizza dough, and cookie dough. So, yes, I’m back to making bread, and I’ve got a few recipes here you can try. Enjoy!
This recipe will make enough for two loaves of bread. I used one for Cinnamon Raisin bread with Cardamom Raisins, and the other for plain white bread. Both are delicious! If you want to use both loaves, just double the stuffing ingredients.
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Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Cardamom Raisins
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Ingredients
For the Dough
- 5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 4-1/2 tsp. packets Yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1-1/2 cups water
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter OR margarine
Instructions
- <span></span><span></span>Put the raisins in a small bowl with the cardamom and cover with water. Let them steep for at least 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast, and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended. Combine water, milk, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15-second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). Add to flour mixture.
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
- <span></span><span></span>Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
For the Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Combine the soaked raisins with the remaining ingredients to make a paste. If you find the paste is too runny, add more brown sugar. Taste to adjust for seasoning. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on the dough for the one loaf. if you are using both loaves, spread on both loaves. I baked my cinnamon loaf in a Pullman loaf pan, it does a great job.
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For both loaves
- Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pans. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- <span></span><span></span>Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. The bread is done when it is 190F/87.8C.
- <span></span><span></span>Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack.
Notes
I really enjoyed this bread when it was still warm out right out of the oven with a little butter. Even the next day, when it was cold, it was still delicious.