HOMEMADE RAISIN AND CARDAMOM BREAD

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hour 10 min - 85 minutes rest time
Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients

Heat the milk and butter in a pan until the butter has melted. Leave to cool until the mixture is only lukewarm. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Crumble in the yeast and sprinkle over the sugar. Using a stand mixer stir on low with a whisk until the yeast has dissolved.
Add the egg and mix into the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook start mixing the flour with the cardamom and salt. Gradually incorporate all the flour. Knead for 5 minutes, then remove from the bowl and knead briefly with your hands on a lightly floured work surface. Now work the raisins into the dough.
Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 45 minutes. Work the dough with your hands again, then shape into an oblong shape and place in a greased loaf pan (30 cm). Cover again and leave to rise for 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top/bottom heat (fan oven: 160 degrees). Brush the raisin bread with milk. Bake on the lowest shelf in the oven for approx. 40 minutes. After baking, turn out of the pan after a few minutes and leave to cool.

To prevent the bread from getting too dark: If the bread starts to get too dark, simply cover it with some aluminium foil and finish baking after the regular time.
Soak Raisins: Before incorporating them into the dough, soak the raisins in warm water or a flavorful liquid (such as rum or orange juice) to plump them up and infuse them with extra moisture and flavour.
Knead Thoroughly: Proper kneading develops the gluten in the dough, resulting in a soft and elastic texture. Knead the dough until it is smooth and supple.
Incorporate Flavorful Additions: Consider adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg to enhance the flavor of the bread. You can also add nuts or citrus zest for additional texture and taste. Or if you are not a fan of raisins you can use dried blueberries or cranberries too.