active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, cut in small pieces
1¾ cups warm milk
5 to 6½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ to 2 teaspoons salt
½ cup raisins, or to taste (see note below)
½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or unsalted peanuts; coarsely chopped filberts; or almonds, or to taste
Melted butter (optional)
Dissolve the yeast in the water with honey and allow to proof. Warm the butter in the milk, and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour, mixed with the salt, 1 cup at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the dough becomes rather stiff and difficult to stir, turn out on a floured board. Knead, adding small quantities of flour, until the dough is soft, velvety, and elastic. (It should spring back when pressed with the fingers and blister easily.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and roll around to coat with butter on all sides. Cover tightly and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down. Turn out on a floured board and let rest for 5 minutes, then knead in the raisins and chopped nuts.
(If you are making one raisin loaf and one nut loaf, divide the dough into two equal pieces, and knead in the extra ingredients separately.) When the nuts and raisins are thoroughly amalgamated in the dough, cut it in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch bread pans, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, or until the dough comes up above the tops of the pans.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with the knuckles. Remove from the tins and allow to bake on the rack in the oven for several minutes more to add color and texture to the crust. (For a tender crust brush the loaves with melted butter just as you bring them out of the oven.) Allow them to cool on racks before slicing.
NOTES
1. It is better if the raisins have soaked in a little warm water or some Cognac for an hour or so. I sometimes add a tiny bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, too, because I like these flavors with the raisins.
2. These loaves freeze well, and will keep in plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days.
Currant Bread
This bread, which I used to eat very often as a child, is a rich, flavorful, extremely pleasant loaf that keeps well and toasts magnificently. It is perfect cut very thin and spread with sweet butter and cheese, and it’s a good base for sweet sandwiches like those filled with cream cheese and nuts.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
1 cup milk
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons salt
1 stick (½ cup) plus 6 tablespoons butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour, approximately
1½ cups currants, soaked for 1 hour in rum, Cognac, or sherry
Melted butter
Heat the milk and stir in the 3 tablespoons sugar, the salt, and the 6 tablespoons butter. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and add to the milk mixture. Stir in 3 cups sifted flour and beat until thoroughly smooth. Gradually add another 3 cups, or enough flour to make a smooth, kneadable dough. Turn the dough out on a board and knead until thoroughly blended and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. (If you use an electric mixer with a dough hook, knead about 5 to 6 minutes.) Put the dough in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a cloth, and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a board again, and knead in the ½ cup sugar, the ½ cup butter, softened, and the currants, drained and lightly floured. Form the dough into two small loaves or one long loaf and put into two buttered 8-inch pans or one 10-inch pan. Brush with melted butter and let rise in a warm place until they have increased about 60 percent. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 50 minutes, or
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, cut in small pieces
1¾ cups warm milk
5 to 6½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ to 2 teaspoons salt
½ cup raisins, or to taste (see note below)
½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or unsalted peanuts; coarsely chopped filberts; or almonds, or to taste
Melted butter (optional)
Dissolve the yeast in the water with honey and allow to proof. Warm the butter in the milk, and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour, mixed with the salt, 1 cup at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the dough becomes rather stiff and difficult to stir, turn out on a floured board. Knead, adding small quantities of flour, until the dough is soft, velvety, and elastic. (It should spring back when pressed with the fingers and blister easily.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and roll around to coat with butter on all sides. Cover tightly and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down. Turn out on a floured board and let rest for 5 minutes, then knead in the raisins and chopped nuts.
(If you are making one raisin loaf and one nut loaf, divide the dough into two equal pieces, and knead in the extra ingredients separately.) When the nuts and raisins are thoroughly amalgamated in the dough, cut it in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch bread pans, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, or until the dough comes up above the tops of the pans.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with the knuckles. Remove from the tins and allow to bake on the rack in the oven for several minutes more to add color and texture to the crust. (For a tender crust brush the loaves with melted butter just as you bring them out of the oven.) Allow them to cool on racks before slicing.
NOTES
1. It is better if the raisins have soaked in a little warm water or some Cognac for an hour or so. I sometimes add a tiny bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, too, because I like these flavors with the raisins.
2. These loaves freeze well, and will keep in plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days.
Currant Bread
This bread, which I used to eat very often as a child, is a rich, flavorful, extremely pleasant loaf that keeps well and toasts magnificently. It is perfect cut very thin and spread with sweet butter and cheese, and it’s a good base for sweet sandwiches like those filled with cream cheese and nuts.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
1 cup milk
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons salt
1 stick (½ cup) plus 6 tablespoons butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour, approximately
1½ cups currants, soaked for 1 hour in rum, Cognac, or sherry
Melted butter
Heat the milk and stir in the 3 tablespoons sugar, the salt, and the 6 tablespoons butter. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and add to the milk mixture. Stir in 3 cups sifted flour and beat until thoroughly smooth. Gradually add another 3 cups, or enough flour to make a smooth, kneadable dough. Turn the dough out on a board and knead until thoroughly blended and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. (If you use an electric mixer with a dough hook, knead about 5 to 6 minutes.) Put the dough in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a cloth, and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a board again, and knead in the ½ cup sugar, the ½ cup butter, softened, and the currants, drained and lightly floured. Form the dough into two small loaves or one long loaf and put into two buttered 8-inch pans or one 10-inch pan. Brush with melted butter and let rise in a warm place until they have increased about 60 percent. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 50 minutes, or
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