Raisin Bread / Currant Bread

Today we will be seeing another type of bread which has the cute currants or raisins in them.. This is a simple and straight white bread with raisins or currants added. The beauty of making bread at home is the versatility and the options you get to add or omit.. It is both fun and unique.

Ingredients

All-purpose Flour – 300grams
Extra flour – for dusting
Dry Yeast – 2 1/4 tea spoons
Sugar – 50 grams / 3 table spoons
Salt – 2 tea spoons
Oil – 2 table spoons
Currants / Raisins – ½ cup
Water – 150 grams

Method

Warm the water in a Microwave for 15 seconds. Take sugar in a mixer bowl and add the luke warm water and dissolve it by stirring.
The ideal temperature of water needs to be between 100 and 110 degrees F which is not too hot or too cold for the yeast to multiply.
Add the yeast and stir to mix and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes or till the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
To the bubbled yeast solution, add flour (1/2 cup at a time) and run the mixer on low speed. Once all the flour is wet and no more dry flour is seen, add the salt and oil and run the mixer on medium until it forms sticky dough. Add Raisins and mix for 30 more seconds...
Sprinkle a little flour on a clean platform and transfer the dough to the floured platform and start kneading with hand till it is smooth. If the dough is sticky dust your palms with more flour and start kneading it.
Fold the dough and turn around a quarter and again fold it and turn around a quarter—like this repeat till you get smooth dough.
When the dough is smooth place this dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so that the dough is covered with oil from all sides. Cover the bowl loosely with a plastic cover.
Allow it to rise until doubled or even more, about one hour.
Smear the oil all over the loaf pan and keep it aside.
Once the dough raises 3 times the original quantity, Punch it down and bring back the dough to its original size.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean platform and knead the dough for few seconds. Make it into log shape and pinch the seams.
Place this dough in the prepared loaf tin and spread it evenly. Cover the pan loosely with a plastic cover and keep it aside for raising.
After nearly one hour observe that the dough is double in size. Now the dough is ready for baking. Preheat the oven in convection mode at 350 F (180C).
Apply milk on the top surface of the dough with a brush or dip a paper napkin in milk and coat the dough with milk.
Place this pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Depending upon the color of the bread and the doneness, increase or decrease the time slightly.
When done remove the pan from the oven and wait for few minutes. Loosen the sides with a knife and turn the bread on to a wire rack.
Turn it around and tap to hear a hollow sound which indicates that the bread is baked properly. Apply ghee or butter on the bread so that it will not dry.
Cool the bread completely on the wire rack before slicing it. When the bread is completely cooled off take a sharp knife and cut it into slices.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 48