The raisin connection

The end of the year is a time for reflection. A good moment to thank all the people who are willing to share their recipes and experiences. Sharing makes the world a better place to be. The shape I choose for this bread is the symbol of a connection. Everything is connected and so are we.

Today I will bake raisin bread with almond paste. We still had some almond paste left in the refrigerator. A gift from Holland and I treasured it. Peter loves raisin bread with a lot of almond paste. I like sweet but not too sweet. In this bread there are raisins, kiwi, preserved orange peel and macadamia’s. So I added a little almond paste. But, if you are a sweet tooth like Peter use as much as you like.

The original recipe is found in 'Bread' van Jeffrey Hamelman. It is still my favorite recipe for “Hot cross buns” or raisin buns/bread as I call them. I’ve baked them many times before, and today again I will use a different filling.

This is what I did:
Sponge
• 37 g flour
• 190 g warm milk, 40 – 45 °C
• 9 g sugar
• 7 g dry yeast

Deeg
• 360 g flour
• 57 g soft butter
• 1 egg, about 37 g
• 57 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• the sponge

Filling
• 10 g orangepeel
• 120 g raisins
• 50 g kiwi, dry
• 50 g macadamia nuts
• 100 g almond paste, mixed with a bit of whisked egg



Sponge: combine milk and yeast in a medium bowl. Wait till the bubbles show. Wisk in flour and sugar, the mixture will be very liquid. Cover and let rest until it is about 3 times its original volume, 30 – 40 minutes

Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle, mix final dough flour and softened butter in little bits until the butter is evenly distributed through the flour.

Add egg, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Continue to mix until combined.

Replace the mixer paddle with the dough hook. Add the sponge and start mixing in low speed. Add water as needed to make very soft dough and mix until well combined, about 3 minutes. It is almost more like cookie dough at this point, and will not come together yet.

Mix in medium speed, occasionally scraping the dough down the sides of the bowl. Mix till the dough starts to leave the sides and come together around the dough hook.
Add the orange peels, the kiwi, raisins and the macadamia nuts. Mix in low speed just until they are evenly distributed through the dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled, covered container. Ferment in a warm place for one hour, with a fold at 30 minutes.

Lightly degas the dough and make a rectangular. Cut the dough in two pieces.

Add the almond paste on the two pieces.

Form two rolls till they have the same length. Choose how to form them.

I made the symbol of connection.
Cover and proof in a warm place for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.

Brush with the whisked egg and bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

Inspired by 'Bread' by Jeffrey Hamelman and Wild Yeast
I will send this bread to Yeastspotting