Best Whole Wheat Currant Or Raisin Bread Recipes

WHOLE-WHEAT CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough.
• Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix 3 minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix 5 more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky.
• Let it rise.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Soak the raisins.
• Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Fold the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides of the dough.
• Add the filling.
• Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon (it's high in antioxidants!), brown sugar and raisins.
• Form the loaves.
• Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Bake the bread.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

RAISIN-CURRANT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans, line with parchment and regrease.
• Sift the first 6 ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. Place raisins and currants into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sifted mixture. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
• Make a well in the center of the sifted ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Sprinkle with the raisins and currants. Mix with a wooden spoon until just blended. Pour the batter into the pans and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool to room temperature.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Soak raisins beforehand in some warm water.
• In a large bowl, combine all the white flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, and cinnamon.
• In another bowl, mix warm water and canola oil.
• Gradually add warm water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat together, then stir in raisins and whole wheat flour. Stir until mixture is consistent.
• Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
• Divide into 3 balls and place in loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm, place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until done.
• Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Brush with melted butter.

WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS (SPOTTED DOG)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together flours, soda, salt and brown sugar. Swish mixture around with your hands to distribute salt and soda through the bread. Add raisins and toss mixture together to coat raisins with flour.
• Beat egg and place in a measuring cup. Add buttermilk; the liquid in the cup should measure about 1 3/4 cups.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour egg/buttermilk mixture into the well. Working from the center of the bowl in concentric clockwise circles, with fingers outstretched, stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. (You can use a rubber spatula instead if you don't like getting dough on your hands.) This should take about a half a minute at most. Dough will be sticky and ragged.
• Dust your work surface with flour, clean and dry your hands and dust with flour. Scrape out dough and very quickly and gently pat it into a 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high round and tuck the bottom edges under. (Alternatively, place in a lightly buttered 10-inch round cake pan.) Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. Moisten a knife and cut a deep cross across top of bread.
• Place in oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400 degrees. Bake 40 minutes, until the loaf is dark brown and makes a hollow sound when tapped. Remove from oven, wrap loosely in a kitchen towel (to soften the crust) and place on a rack to cool.

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.
• Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD WITH RAISINS AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Stir 1 1/4 cups water and yeast in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm milk, honey, and salt, then melted butter. Add 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and stir vigorously with wood spoon until well incorporated. Add 1/2 cup rye flour, oat bran and cocoa powder and stir until well blended. Add enough bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form moist and sticky dough, stirring vigorously with wood spoon until well incorporated. Mix in raisins and walnuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. For do-ahead version: Refrigerate dough overnight. For same-day version: Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (do not punch down dough).
• Spray 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to prepared pan, being careful not to deflate dough. Cover loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until dough is puffed and almost reaches top of pan, about 45 minutes for refrigerated dough and 20 minutes for room-temperature dough.
• Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500°F. Generously spray inside of oven with water (about 8 sprays); immediately place bread in oven. Lower oven temperature to 400°F and bake bread until top is deep brown and crusty and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool completely.

WHOLE WHEAT CURRANT OR RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients, then add beaten egg and your "buttermilk" mixture. Mix well. Pour into a well greased and floured, standard bread pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until middle is mounded and a toothpick (or butter knife) comes out clean.