Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Please note the my blog's new URL is www.zestysouthindiankitchen.com

Did you notice a change in my blog, yes my blog became dot.com. For a long time I wanted to have zestysouthindiankitchen.com. My hubby got it for me as one of my birthday gifts. He also bought me a Cuisine Art digital kitchen scale, as without a scale I feel my bread baking world will end. I had one in my hand earlier, which my daughter used to weigh her water bottle and finally it stopped working for few days after Nidhi’s experiments, but now it has started working again. So I have two digital kitchen scales. 

Last week I won Red Star yeast giveaway hosted by Kristi of Veggie Converter.Com. I got lots of goodies from Red Star yeast: a loaf pan, apron, few packets of active dry yeast, recipe book The Kneaded Loaf: A guide to contemporary bread making, kneading board and coupons.

 I was looking for a new loaf pan for some time now. I already have two in hand, but felt a third one will come in handy. I love to buy baking pans and other items and my hubby says you are buying a lot, without seeing them being put to use.  

After looking through the recipes in the Red Star book I decided to give try the Apple cinnamon raisin bread. Only thing I don’t like in it recipes are that they doesn’t have gram measurements. I have learn from experience that while bread baking it is better to weigh the ingredients rather than using cup measurements. 

I liked this recipe because it uses apple juice and raisins. Since I am trying this recipe for the first time, I didn’t want to change the recipe and followed it exactly (Normally I won’t follow that rule, but here I did it). I did end up using more water than given in the recipe. I baked the bread at 350 ° F rather 375 °F as needed in the recipe since I use 350 °F for my sandwich bread.  However I should have listened to Red Star yeast, as I ended up baking the bread for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Next time I will use 375 °F and follow recipe instructions. 

Bread turned out to be soft with sweetness of raisins and is similar to cinnamon raisin bread that we buy from the store. I think apple juice made the yeast happy; however no apple taste was there in the bread or maybe because the yeast got drunk on the entire apple juice and converted the sugar into CO₂. 

Bread got finished within two days. My hubby wanted to try Hearty rye bread recipe from that book as it has beer. I think both men and yeast will like booze as well. I am going make that in future. 

Thank you Kristi and Red star yeast to give a wonderful opportunity to make this delicious bread. Here goes the recipe. 

One year ago: Khara Buns/savory buns with herbs and spices

Two year ago: Sago in Coconut milk/Thai Malay Burmese Dessert

What you need

 Recipe adapted from The Kneaded Loaf: A guide to contemporary bread making

Print recipe from here 

 Bread flour: 3 cup/ 489g

Red Star Active Dry yeast: 2 ¼ teaspoon/ 7g

Raisins: ¾ cup/95g

Apple juice: ¾ cup / 183 g (I used mots apple juice)

Salt: 1 teaspoon/4 g

Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon/ 12g

Ground cinnamon: 1 tablespoon/ 8g

Olive oil:  1 tablespoon

Water:  ¾ cup / 165g

For Egg wash

Egg: 1 no

Water : 1 tablespoon

How I made

In a medium sauce pan add raisins, water, and apple juice and bring to boil for about 2 minutes and switch off the flame and set aside for cooling.

Once the apple juice raisin water is Luke warm strain and removes the raisins and set aside. 

Add 1 cup of flour, yeast to apple juice water and set aside for 20 minutes or until the yeast get proofed. 

In the bowl of kitchen aid stand mixer attached with paddle attachment add yeast flour mixture and rest of ingredients and mix everything for 3 minutes. Then add soaked raisin and mix very well to incorporate into the dough. Then change to dough hook and knead the dough for about 8 minutes or until the dough starts leaves from the sides and form a ball. Then transfer the dough to well floured area and knead for another 5 minutes or until they become shiny, supple, non sticky dough. The dough should pass the window pane test and register 77 to 81 F. If you are kneading by hand it takes about 15 minutes of kneading. 

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's expanded and looks somewhat puffy, about 90 minutes. 

 

Lightly grease a  9" x 4" x 3", 1.5 lb. commercial loaf pan   Transfer the dough into a board and gently shape the dough into a smooth log, and settle it into the pan, smooth side up.

 

Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise till it's crowned over the rim of the pan by about 3/4", about 60 minutes. Don't let it rise too high; it'll continue to rise as it bakes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. When you are ready for baking the bread lightly apply the egg wash on the loaf so that you get shiny color after baking.

Bake the bread for 60 minutes. Lightly tent it with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional15 minutes, or until the center registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack.

Slice and serve when the bread cools down  to  room temperature.

Enjoy

Preparation time:  4.5 hours

Yield: 1 loaf

Verdict: Delicious loaf

Will you make it again: Yes I will

I am sending this to Hearth and Soul blog hop Hosted here.
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