NANA'S PRAIRIE BREAD

Nana's Prairie Bread image

This semi-dark bread is delicious any time of year, but it's perfect for autumn and Thanksgiving. While sturdy enough for sandwiches, it is wonderfully soft and moist for a dinner bread. Nobody will ever guess the secret ingredients of raisins and dried cherries.

Provided by Baking Nana

Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes Whole Grain Bread Recipes Rye Bread

Time 4h40m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
¾ cup raisins
½ cup dried cherries
¼ cup honey
¼ cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup warm water
3 cups bread flour, divided
3 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup rye flour
½ cup powdered milk
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup oil

Steps:

Combine boiling water, raisins, cherries, 1/4 cup honey, and dark brown sugar in a blender. Let stand until raisins and cherries have plumped up and liquid has cooled, about 10 minutes. Puree until liquefied.
Mix yeast, 1 tablespoon honey, and warm water together in a large bowl; let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Combine 2 cups bread flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, rye flour, powdered milk, vital wheat gluten, and salt in a bowl.
Stir liquefied fruit mixture into the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture. Stir until combined and a dough is formed, 6 to 8 minutes.
Mix oil into the dough. Add the remaining 1 cup whole wheat flour. Mix in the remaining 1 cup bread flour 1/4 cup at a time; dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be sticky.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface; allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Dust with as little additional flour as possible; dough should be tacky, not dry.
Turn dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a loose cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough onto a work surface and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into rounds. Place on a baking sheet. Score the top of each loaf with a sharp knife. Cover and allow to rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (82 degrees C), 20 to 25 minutes more.
Cool loaves on racks for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 354.3 calories, Carbohydrate 60.8 g, Cholesterol 3.9 mg, Fat 8.9 g, Fiber 5.1 g, Protein 9.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 380.7 mg, Sugar 17.2 g