Raisin Bread, you ask? Who invented Raisin Bread?
Lest we look too deeply, the answer would seem to be Henry David Thoreau.
Thoreau’s biographer, Walter Harding, credited him with the recipe, after all.
But…alas… Harding later retracted that colorful claim when he learned that the story was more rural legend than credible story–probably invented by townspeople who wanted to titter about Thoreau’s unorthodox behavior. You know, something along the predictable lines of: “He EVEN puts raisins in his bread!” ( NPR, by the way did an interesting piece about Thoreau’s eating habits, both real and imagined: NPR on Thoreau.)
In truth, raisin cakes, breads and the like have been around for a very long time. Elizabethan cooks baked them hundreds of years ago.
So, whether you do it for Thoreau or in solidarity with the Elizabethans, this swirl of a loaf is pretty wonderful. I used cinnamon, sugar and raisins soaked in brandy for my swirl, but you could use chocolate chips or whatever works for you. Maybe a little cardamom? I’m thinking a modest frosting with a powdered sugar frosting would be tasty on this bread, too. As Thoreau wrote: “The world is a canvas of our imagination.”
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- Dough
- 1/2 C. sourdough starter (see below)
- 3 C. all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 t. instant yeast
- 1 T. granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 t. salt
- 1 large egg
- 5 T. butter (softened)
- 2/3 C. lukewarm water
- Filling
- 1/4 C. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 2 T. all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (beaten with 1 T. water)
- 1/2 C. raisins
Directions
- Step 1 Mix all dough ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead until you have a smooth dough. This depends upon a lot of factors, but may take about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, sprinkle a bit of flour on your counter and shape the dough into a taut ball. Put the ball of dough in a lightly-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about 2 hours until it has roughly doubled in bulk.
- Step 2 To make the filling, combine sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl.I soaked my raisins in a bit of brandy. Set aside.
- Step 3 Once your dough has doubled, move it back to your workspace and gently punch it down. Shape the dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 6 inches by 20 inches. Brush the dough with the egg and water mixture, leaving a one-inch dry area on one of the short edges.
- Step 4 Sprinkle the raisins and sugar over the egg-washed dough. Roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends of the dough together and press the long seam to seal.
- Step 5 Transfer the dough (seam side down) to a 9 inch by 5 inch baking pan.Cover and let the dough rise again until it has risen to about one inch over the top of the pan. This will take about an hour.
- Step 6 Bake the dough in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes. When the bread is done, it should be a pretty golden brown and should measure 190 degrees F. internally using a digital thermometer. Brush the top of the bread with melted butter and let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. Cook’s Note: If you don’t have fresh sourdough starter on hand, you can, of course, make it or possibly borrow some from a friend. Here is a link to King Arthur Baking’s instructions for making your own starter: Sourdough Starter.
This is a King Arthur Baking tried-and-true recipe. Here is the link: King Arthur Baking Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough.
Blue Cayenne featured a Melissa Clark Raisin Swirl Bread long ago. It, too, is a wonderful recipe and doesn’t use sourdough starter if you don’t have that ingredient on hand. Here is the link for that one, too: Melissa Clark’s Raisin Bread.
