I cooked as well.... [Cinnamon Raisin Bread]

History:

My mom loves cinnamon raisin bread, and clark and i have found the best recipe. So knowing I was coming home I had to make it for my mom. As a side note I have made dinner for my parents the last 3 nights. Sirloin over salad, lasagna, and marinated chicken. Nothing we haven't already talked about. Hence no recipes. My mom does not branch out that much. But, here is our cinnamon raisin bread.

Recipe: [PR]

This is a two day recipe. But well worth the extra time spent into it.

Soaker:

170 grams whole wheat

pinch of salt

170 grams milk [I like whole milk... only 3% fat so really, is that 1% going to really kill you?]

170 grams raisins.

Mix and over. Leave on the counter.

Biga: [All this talk of biga and sponge. They are just different ratios of flour:bread:yeast to autolyze or give an extra breakdown of the sugars prior to the main fermentation]

170 grams whole wheat

1/3 packet of yeast [save the rest]

85 grams milk

1/2 stick of butter, melted

1 egg

Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

We tend to do this the night before, and then after school finish.

Final product:

Soaker

Biga

56.5 grams whole wheat [I always use more then this]

bigger or 2 pinchs of salt

rest of yeast

28.5 grams [1 oz] of honey (this makes a mess when you hand knead]

4 grams or as much as you want of cinnamon

85 grams toasted walnuts and/or pecans [I tend to have toasted walnuts and crushed pecans]

3:2 sugar: cinnamon for inside

Chop biga and sponge into pieces.

Mix everything except walnuts/pecans together. It should be a heavy dough, how does it feel? Should be tacky, but hold its own.

Fold in the walnuts by kneading.

Oil a bowl, spin the balled dough in, and proof for ~2 hours. Let it become 1.5 its size or a bit more.

Fold out into a flat piece. How wide? Wide enough to fit into your bread pan. How thick? 1/2 inch or so. Cover the surface with the sugar:cinnamon mixture. Be generous, and then fold up a la snake, pork etc.

Proof in the bread pan until flush with top or you don't want to wait.

Preheat over to 400

Put bread in turn down to 325

Go for 25 minutes. Rotate 180 degrees

Go for another 30 minutes or so.

Enjoy