Paul Richards' book of breads, cakes, pastries, ices and sweetmeats

For use in breads seeded raisins are best separated by breaking the package, placing the raisins on a baking pan, and set in the oven for a minute to heat. This facilitates the separating. Another way is to moisten them with a little water. When dry, seedless raisins are used, they should be covered with water for a couple of hours, and the water drained off before using. The adding of the raisins to the dough is best done shortly before the dough is fully mixed. If added too early the fruit is liable to break and cause the breads to have a streaky looking texture. In many bakeries it is the custom, where only a small quantity of this bread is required, to simply work from IV2 to 2 pounds of raisins in twenty to twenty-five pounds of plain bun dough. Quite a good many bakeries make special raisin breads, and also use fine cut figs, prunes, or combinations of fruits and chopped walnuts or pecans in these breads. A number of these raisin or fruit breads are made with so-called Health Flours, consisting of whole wheat meal, or a combination of several flours or meals. Some of them have bran added. These breads make a pleasing specialty where a change in diet is appreciated. To make a good whole wheat bread and adding raisins, it is necessary to have the whole wheat meal or flour milled from high grade hard winter wheat, or good Northern or Canadian hard spring wheat. Quite a number of mills grind special strong wheat meals and whole wheat flours, and some bakers buy the hard Canadian spring wheat and grind it into a coarse meal, using the same grinder that is used for coffee, which makes a fine gritty meal. Graham flours should practically contain the whole of the wheat ; but these flours vary greatly in strength. Some of them are milled from very soft wheat. Some of them are composed of bran and offal of soft wheat, and are mixed with soft wheat flours. These flours require a large addition of good hard wheat flour to make good bread. To make a Special Raisin Bread : 1— ONE GALLON BATCH RAISIN BREAD, STRAIGHT DOUGH 14 to 14% pounds white bread flour 1 gallon water, or part milk 5 to 6 ounces of yeast 2y2 to 3 ounces salt. 8 ounces of sugar 4 to 6 ounces shortening ■ Erom 1 to 2 pounds of raisins. Method of Mixing: Dissolve the yeast in 1 quart of water; dissolve salt and sugar in balance of water, having the water of a temperature to have the dough about 80 degrees Fahr. when mixed. Add the flour and partly mix. Add the yeast solution, mix a minute, then add the shortening. When dough is nearly mixed add the raisins and mix smooth to distribute the raisins evenly. Let the dough rise until light enough to recede when fingers are pushed in and withdrawn. Punch down and fold in sides and ends. Cover and let rise again to same height, fold over again, let rise once more about half way up, then divide into loaves. Give only short proof (let loaves double in size in pan) and bake as usual. 2.— RAISIN BREAD, SPONGE AND DOUGH PROCESS 1 gallon water % gallon milk 3^2 ounces salt 4 to 5 ounces yeast 1% pounds sugar 1 to V/z pounds shortening 3 to 5 pounds raisins 21 pounds flour (approximately). For this bread from 5 to 10 eggs or one pint of yolks may be added if desired. Set sponge with one gallon water, yeast and ten pounds of flour. Add the balance of ingredients for doughing and work as in the preceding formula. Set sponge at 82 degrees; dough at 80 degTees. Let dough come up once fully, then let come up twice only half, and work up. BOSTON BROWN BREAD WITH RAISINS 1% pounds white bread flour. 1% pounds graham flour. 1% pounds cornmeal. IV2 pounds rye flour. 2 quarts molasses. 1 quart water. 1 quart milk. 1 pound small raisins. % ounce salt. 3 ounces baking powder.