Spicy Raisin Bread

My sister can be, shall we say, finicky when it comes to food. I have never met somebody with a palate as honed as hers who is so anti-foodie. She's happy with her box mix pancakes and chocolate cake with canned frosting and premade decorating icing, her frozen pizza pockets and waffles, and the neon-orange mac and cheese. But she does like one thing I make her - cinnamon raisin bread. I figure it's about time that she start liking the homemade stuff, especially since now she's developed a taste for whole wheat and with one or two exceptions a whole-grain cinnamon raisin "sandwich" loaf is non-existent (when I can't get to making her this recipe or my previous swirl version, she does like Country Harvest's version).

This version of the classic cinnamon raisin bread came around after several failed attempts at toasting slices of my Sister's Sweet Cinnamon - Swirl Bread. While they were perfect for French toast and fine just smeared with peanut butter, the toaster was a bit too violent for the swirl to handle. Teaghan wanted the flavour of the original but in a more cohesive package, with extra raisins. I was only too happy to oblige!

This loaf redux if being sent to Susan's YeastSpotting event.

Spicy Raisin Bread 
Serves 16
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
7 fl. oz (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) unsweetened almond milk, warmed
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp large-grain turbinado sugar
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup sultana raisins, soaked in hot water and drained

1. In a saucepan, cook the apple juice until it is reduced to 2 tbsp. Let cool slightly.
2. Pour the reduced juice into a large measuring cup and add enough warm almond milk to equal 1 cup. 
3. Stir in the yogurt, brown sugar, eggs and oil. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook) combine the flour, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, and turbinado sugar.
5. Add the wet ingredients and begin mixing. 
6. Knead for 3 minutes, then add the salt and knead a further 10 minutes.
7. Cover and let rest 45 minutes.
8. Punch down and knead in the raisins.
9. Re-cover and let rest 15 minutes.
10. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased 9x5" loaf pan.
11. Cover loosely and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
13. Bake 35-40 minutes, covering with foil after 20 minutes.
14. Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 177.7
Total Fat: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 23.2 mg
Sodium: 27.5 mg
Total Carbs: 37.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 6.0 g

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