This is one of the easiest and best sourdough breads imaginable. Simple Sourdough Raisin Bread is the type of loaf that your grandmother made (or wished she did). The bread includes ingredients you probably have in your kitchen or that are readily available at the market. You can mix the bread up in the morning, add a few ingredients at lunchtime, and bake the bread for dinner. The recipe turns out a medium-large loaf that's incredibly tasty. A little whole-wheat flour gives the bread fiber as well as nice flavor. The bread is soft in texture, has just a touch of sweetness, and is filled with plump, juicy raisins. Slicing the cooled bread is easy, and, toasted, a slice is just the right base for a spoonful of jam and/or a slather of butter. The loaf keeps well and will provide you with a nice breakfast carb for a good part of a week. Enjoy!
Simple Sourdough Raisin Bread -- Makes 1 Loaf
1 cup of starter/discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 cup of whole-wheat or white whole-wheat flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of raisins (if they are dry, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes and then drain
them well before using them)
In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, egg, oil, milk, and brown sugar and beat them together well (with a wooden or sturdy spoon is fine). Stir in the 1 cup of whole-wheat flour until combined. Loosely cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least an hour (4-5 hours is fine). When you're ready, stir in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and the salt. Stir in the raisins. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, adding about 1/2 of additional flour, if necessary, to keep the dough from sticking. The amount of flour you add will depend on the stiffness of your original starter/discard and how humid it is in your area. You want a dough that is moist to the touch but not super sticky. Shape the dough into a log or loaf shape. Spritz a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or line the loaf pan with aluminum foil and spritz the foil with spray for easy bread removal later. Put the dough log in the spritzed pan and spritz the top of the loaf with a little non-stick spray. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it almost/just barely reaches the top of the loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 (F) degrees. Let the bread cool in its pan for 15 minutes before removing it to cool completely. The bread will slice most easily and neatly if you let it cool first.
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