Walnut Raisin Whole Wheat Bread Recipes

WALNUT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• The recipe directions are written for instant yeast; to use active dry yeast, dissolve it in the water first. Also, be aware that your rising times will be longer.
• Mixing In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured or lightly greased surface, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
• Shaping Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 90 minutes, until it's domed about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.
• Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until it's light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf.) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

WALNUT RAISIN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast, warm water, and milk in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Add the sugar, 1/2 cup cornmeal, butter, walnuts, raisins, salt, pepper, whole wheat flour, and 2 cups of the white flour. Beat well. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, adding the remaining white flour as necessary to make it workable. Let the dough rest, covered loosley with a towel, for 10-15 minutes.
• Knead the dough again, until it is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with extra flour if you need to keep it from sticking.
• Oil a large bowl and turn the dough in it to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl and let dough rise in a warm place till doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape the halves into round loaves. Sprinkle a baking sheet with the remaining 2 tbls. cornmeal, and put the loaves on it, seam side down. Cover with the towel, and let them rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, and bake until the bread is well browned and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped with your finger, 45 minutes.
• Cool bread on a wire rack. Enjoy!

ITALIAN WALNUT-RAISIN WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD (PANE ALLE NOCI E UVA)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, pour 1/2 cup of the warm water; Add yeast and sugar; stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl with a whisk or the work bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 2 cups warm water, olive oil, honey, sale and 2 cups of the whole-wheat flour; Add the yeast mixture; Beat vigorously until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add the remaining whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time; Add the unbleached flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl is formed; Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.
• Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface; knead until soft and springy yet resilient to the touch, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to prevent sticking, about 6 minutes.
• If kneading by machine, use dough hook and knead 5 to 6 minutes, or until dough is smooth and springy.
• Do not add too much flour, or the loaf will be too dry and hard to work.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat; cover with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in bulk, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Grease or parchment-line a baking sheet; Combine the whole-wheat flour and wheat bran and sprinkle on the baking sheet; Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface without punching it down.
• Pat into large oval and sprinkle evenly with half the drained raisins and half the walnuts; Press the nuts and fruit into the dough and roll it up; Pat the dough down into an oval once again and sprinkle it evenly with the remaining nuts and raisins.
• Press the addition in and roll the dough up again.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal portions.
• Shape into 3 tight round loaves, or 2 baguettes about 14 inches long; Gently pull the surface taut from the bottom on both; Place the loaves on the pans; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour.
• Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the over to 400F, with a baking stone, if desired.
• Slash the round or baguette loaves quickly with a serrated knife with two parallel lines and one intersecting line no more than 1/4 inch deep; Place the baking sheet directly on the stone or on an oven rack and bake until loaves are brown, crusty, and sound hollow when tapped with your finger, 35 to 40 minutes for the round loaves and 25 to 30 minutes for the baguettes.
• Transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely before slicing.

RAISIN WALNUT WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl or mixer bowl, add the whole wheat flour and the non-flour dry ingredients.
• Pour in the hot water and add the shortening.
• Beat with a wooden spoon 150 strokes or with the mixer flat blade for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the fruit and nuts.
• Add the flour slowly, mixing with a wooden spoon and then by hand until a rough, soft mass is formed. If using a mixer, use dough hook and add flour until dough forms a soft ball around the hook and moves with it.
• Knead for 10 minutes, adding flour if too wet and a little water if too dry.
• Place dough in a clean, oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled in volume. Another test is when a finger poked into it leaves a dent that remains.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and gently roll into 3 strands, 20 inches long. If the dough resists stretching, cover and wait 10 minutes until the dough relaxes. The strands should be tapered at the ends.
• Braid the strands loosely and seal the ends, tucking them under.
• Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in volume at room temperature. I place the loaf in the fridge overnight and the next day I let it warm and rise for about and hour and a half.
• Heat oven to 375F about 20 minutes before baking.
• Bake on a baking stone or baking sheet for about 30 minutes or until 200F internal temperature and remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Mix the topping ingredients and spread or drizzle on the loaf while the loaf is still slightly warm.

CINNAMON-RAISIN-WALNUT WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix whole wheat flour and yeast. Add warm water. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.
• Stir in brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, salt and 1 cup of the bread flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, smooth dough forms.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Knead in walnuts and raisins. Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Grease uninsulated cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Gently shape into an even, round ball, without releasing all of the bubbles in the dough. Stretch sides of dough downward to make a smooth top. Place loaf with smooth side up on cookie sheet. Spray loaf with cool water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 45 to 60 minutes or until dough has almost doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray loaf with cool water. With sharp serrated knife, carefully cut 1/4-inch-deep slashes in tic-tac-toe pattern on top of loaf.
• Place in oven; spray with cool water. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until loaf is dark brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Soak raisins beforehand in some warm water.
• In a large bowl, combine all the white flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, and cinnamon.
• In another bowl, mix warm water and canola oil.
• Gradually add warm water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat together, then stir in raisins and whole wheat flour. Stir until mixture is consistent.
• Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
• Divide into 3 balls and place in loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm, place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until done.
• Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Brush with melted butter.