This is the bread I seen my grandfather tear to pieces for making dressing or stuffing for a duck. It is called either or but it is ok with me.
He used the store bought one which was ok but I prefer the homemade one the best. I swear if I was not a very good baker for which I am then I would do the same thing. Grandpa, I hope you approve of me writing this recipe even though you died from cancer a long time ago. Your roast duck with the raisin bread dressing is still on my mind. I cook it very nicely but I love yours the best because I learned it from you. Besides I hope to publish other recipes on this blog that I picked up from that old man.
His passing from cancer from I was at the age of 21 shook me to the core and I nearly fell apart. As a mother I could not do that again because my baby needed me. I meant my oldest daughter.
I am going to now cut to the chase on to the recipe for raisin bread
Ingredients: 5 handfuls of all purpose unbleached all purpose flour
1 pinch of turbidano sugar
1 pinch of baking powder
2 pinches of yeast
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of eno it is fruit salt or Xanthan gum you can buy it at any Pakistani or Indian grocery store I use this as a dough conditioner
1 pinch of cinnamon powder or break off a piece of a cinnamon stick and grind that in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until you have a powder my preference but optional
1 handful of raisons either dark or golden which also are called sultanas
1/4 cup of water to make the dough
1/8 cup of vegetable oil
Method: preheat the oven to 375 °F = 190.556 °C
I add all of the dry ingredients first by adding the flour, turbidino sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, eno (fruit salt) for dough conditioner, cinnamon, this is optional you can leave it out if you don’t want to add it.
I added raisons dark or golden or you can mix if you want.
I made a well in the center of the flower you do not want a batter or a thin dough so I kept pouring a little at a time and started to need until I got a nice dough. I kneaded the dough t and added some oil to coat the dough. this makes the dough nice and pliable and keeps it in good condition too.
My husband doesn’t understand this method because he doesn’t bake.
This also keeps the dough from sticking to the bowl and the dough is easier to handle and this keeps the dough from drying out and forming crusts. I kneaded the dough a bit more and put a lid over the bowl and let it rise for at least an hour or two. I set the timer on the microwave to let me know time is up . When I check again the dough has doubled then I punch the dough and knead again and put the cover back over the bowl and allow it to rise for the second time. set the timer on microwave again for an hour. Your oven should be hot at this time. When time is up again punch and kneed the dough for second time. This is ready to be shaped in to loves and get popped in to the oven. I use parchment paper to line the baking pan and shape the dough in to a loaf of bread and put it in the oven for 20 minutes or until it is browned nicely also test the bread for doneness like you are checking a cake, if it comes out clean it is done.
You may want to flip the bread on the other side until that gets brown too.
You can slice it and make toast as you wish or use it for dressing for roast duck. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! p.s. there is a link at the bottom of the page how to make the duck and dressing this bread goes with this recipe.
My Grandfather’s Roast Duck With Raison Bread Dressing
