Raisin Bread #5

      by Tony van Roon



Makes 2 Loaves:

 1-1/2 to 2 cups    Hot (not boiling) water *
3 pkgs (25 gram)    Fleishmann's Active Dry Yeast
         1/2 cup    Sugar
           1 tsp    Salt
         1/2 cup    Butter or Margarine (softened) + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
          6 cups    All Purpose Flour 
               1    Small Egg (optional)
          3 cups    Raisins
         1/2 cup    Cooked mashed potatoes, (room temperature) **
 Place 1/2 cup warm water in a large warm bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast; stir until disolved. Add remaining water, sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups of flour; blend well. Stir in egg, mashed potatoes (or applesauce), raisins, and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover, let rise in warm and draft free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half to 12x7 inch rectangle. Beginning at short end of each, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in 2 greased 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pans. Cover, let rise again in warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350 °F. for 35 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

 * Use tap-water or water reserved from boiling potatoes.
** To use instant potatoes: Stir together 1/3 cup boiling water and 1/4 cup instant potato flakes or buds. Let cool to room temperature. If you like, you can substitute with applesauce.

Notes: I updated the recipe and changed it from 2 large eggs to a optional 1 small egg. I found that when using 2 eggs the bread becomes a bit dry the next day. The one cup of water changed to 1-1/2 to 2 cups hot tap water. If you use the 'Fast-rising' dry yeast (i use myself) the rising time is halved. I also started adding half an apple, cut in small pieces, to keep the bread moist. Works well. It is obvious that the apple and egg should be at room temperature. You can change the raisins from 3 cups to 2 cups + 1 cup golden raisins. Gives a nice look to a slice.
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