Saturday, December 5, 2009

Cinnamon Raisin Bread



This recipe is from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker Apprentice
This is the original recipe but I changed it a bit to suit my taste.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I added a pinch of cardamon, ginger and cloves as well)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons shortening (I used 2 1/2 tbs butter at room temperature)
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk (I used buttermilk)
3/4 cup water at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of raisins (I used raisins, currants, sultanas and candied peel)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)

For the cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup sugar (I used a 1/3)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Method

Stir the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon together. Add the egg, butter, milk and water and combine. Turn out onto a floured counter and kneed until the dough is smooth and elastic (at least 10 minutes, but 20 is good). Add the fruit and nuts and kneed for a few more minutes to combine so the fruit is spread evenly through the dough. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and rest for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until doubled in size.

For the swirl

Divide the dough into two equal pieces and press each one into a rectangle shape with your hands. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over one side and tightly roll into a loaf shape. Place into a lightly buttered loaf tin, seam side down. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and cover with a tea towel or muslin and rest for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the loaf in the oven for 20 minutes and then rotate the tin and bake for another 20 - 30 minutes. It is ready when it is golden brown and has a hollow sound when you knock on it. Take out of the tin, sprinkle with any leftover cinnamon sugar and leave to cool.








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