This was a really great loaf of bread! It came out soft and fragrant. My family gobbled it up. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.
Here are some changes I made to make it 5 stars:
1. I used butter instead of shortening (not melted, just kneaded room temperature butter into the dough).
2. I used 1 1/2 cup of warm milk (microwaved) instead of warm water and omitted the 2 T of milk. Depending on the humidity, you might need to add more or less milk to get the dough at the right consistency. (If you are substituting whole wheat flour for some of the bread flour, you might need to add more liquid as well.)
3. I soaked the raisins in hot water before drying on a paper towel. This allows the raisins to remain moist and does not cause the raisins to pull moisture from the dough during baking.
4. I kneaded the raisins into the dough (gently or the raisins will tear) to get a more even distribution. After the first rising, I then rolled out the dough, brushed the top with some water and sprinkled the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture on top before rolling up (this also prevents the rolled up dough from pulling apart after baking). Sometimes I add crushed walnuts to this mixture for a nice crunch.
5. To reduce calories, I did not use butter or brush the top of the loaf with butter. Did not miss it. Top of the loaf was soft even without the butter!
Overall, delicious recipe. Will continue to make in the future.
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3 users found this review helpful
This was a really great loaf of bread! It came out soft and fragrant. My family gobbled it up....