❤Old Fashioned Homemade Bread from Grandma's Kitchen

• Serves: Makes 2 large loaves
• Total Time: About 3 to 4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cups butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 well beaten eggs
• 4 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 cups of plumped raisins
• about 3 cups of unbleached flour - see directions

Instructions

Scald 1 cup milk Stir into the hot milk 2/3 cups butter; ½ cup sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cool this mixture until lukewarm. Put ½ cup lukewarm water in a BIG bowl. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle 2 Tablspoons yeast (or follow directions of the new yeast that is available in your area) Let it stand until the yeast has become bubbly. Now add the lukewarm (make sure if has cooled to lukewarm) milk mixture. Add 3 well beaten eggs and 4 cups unbleached white flour. Beat until the dough is smooth. Beat in 2 cups raisins that have been plumped (how to plump raisins: in a separate bowl pour boiling water to cover the raisins and let sit until cool then drain well). Work in enough flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. (not sticky anymore) which will be about 3 cups of unbleached flour. Turn out on floured board/counter. Round up into a ball.
Proceed like regular bread:
KNEAD dough, adding a little more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).
PLACE in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to greased top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. I use a little oil on top to keep dry spots from forming.
LET RISE in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).
PUNCH DOWN. Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 (or 3 - as it depends on the size of your loaf pans) equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
SHAPE each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.
LET RISE in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45 to 60 minutes).
BAKE at 350°F on lower oven rack for 40 to 45minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

A TIP:I always tap the top of my baked bread before removing it from the oven to make sure it has baked properly - if your tap sounds like the bread is hollow - then your bread is done.
ENJOY: Go ahead and cut yourself a fresh warm slice and butter it so the butter melts into the bread as you are eating it. It's a treat you deserve for all your work.