The Amazing Raisin Bread Challenge

I recently bought a box of golden rasins on a whim; they are my favorite type of raisin, but I don't really eat rasins a lot. So I was wondering what I could do with them (while eating some of course) and inspiration struck. Raisin bread. I searched Stumbleupon and came up with several recipes, all of which looked great. But the problem was that I couldn't pick which one to use first.

Enter the "Amaising Raisin Bread Challenge." I will be posting each recipe every week; and then I will make a loaf of the bread and post step-by-step photos along with the results to show how well the particular recipe worked for me. I will then do a taste test among my family and record their reactions on taste, texture, smell, and overall appearance. I will then post the results and, at the end of the challenge, the winners. you can do your own challenge and pick your own winner, or just try out the winning recipe.

My first recipe will be my all time favorite bread recipe (the one I make for just bread) and I will add the cinnamon sugar and raisins to it to make it into a raisin bread. This is, by far, the simplest bread recipe you could make, I found it in a children's cookbook, and a good place to start out.

Alright folks, here's the recipe, so let's get to work!

Bread

3 1/2 cup flour
1 package yeast
1 1/2 Tb butter or margarine
1 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup water

Cinnamon Raisin Filling
1 Tb melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins

Mix flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the water and mix together to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic and then let rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. press the dough out into a rectangle and moisten with melted butter, sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar (mixed together) onto the dough and then spread the raisins onto the dough. roll the dough up, starting at a short end, and then tuck the ends under, pressing the edges to seal. Place into a loaf pan or onto a baking sheet or cooking stone and let rise again, until doubled. bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when knocked. You can eat the bread however you like; for toast, with butter, or just plain.