Please note the my blog's new URL is www.zestysouthindiankitchen.com
Did you notice a change in my blog, yes my blog became dot.com. For a long time I wanted to have zestysouthindiankitchen.com. My hubby got it for me as one of my birthday gifts. He also bought me a Cuisine Art digital kitchen scale, as without a scale I feel my bread baking world will end. I had one in my hand earlier, which my daughter used to weigh her water bottle and finally it stopped working for few days after Nidhi’s experiments, but now it has started working again. So I have two digital kitchen scales.
Last week I won Red Star yeast giveaway hosted by Kristi of Veggie Converter.Com. I got lots of goodies from Red Star yeast: a loaf pan, apron, few packets of active dry yeast, recipe book The Kneaded Loaf: A guide to contemporary bread making, kneading board and coupons.
I was looking for a new loaf pan for some time now. I already have two in hand, but felt a third one will come in handy. I love to buy baking pans and other items and my hubby says you are buying a lot, without seeing them being put to use.
After looking through the recipes in the Red Star book I decided to give try the Apple cinnamon raisin bread. Only thing I don’t like in it recipes are that they doesn’t have gram measurements. I have learn from experience that while bread baking it is better to weigh the ingredients rather than using cup measurements.
I liked this recipe because it uses apple juice and raisins. Since I am trying this recipe for the first time, I didn’t want to change the recipe and followed it exactly (Normally I won’t follow that rule, but here I did it). I did end up using more water than given in the recipe. I baked the bread at 350 ° F rather 375 °F as needed in the recipe since I use 350 °F for my sandwich bread. However I should have listened to Red Star yeast, as I ended up baking the bread for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Next time I will use 375 °F and follow recipe instructions.
Bread turned out to be soft with sweetness of raisins and is similar to cinnamon raisin bread that we buy from the store. I think apple juice made the yeast happy; however no apple taste was there in the bread or maybe because the yeast got drunk on the entire apple juice and converted the sugar into CO2.
Bread got finished within two days. My hubby wanted to try Hearty rye bread recipe from that book as it has beer. I think both men and yeast will like booze as well. I am going make that in future.
Thank you Kristi and Red star yeast to give a wonderful opportunity to make this delicious bread. Here goes the recipe.
One year ago: Khara Buns/savory buns with herbs and spices
Two year ago: Sago in Coconut milk/Thai Malay Burmese Dessert
What you need
Recipe adapted from The Kneaded Loaf: A guide to contemporary bread making
Red Star Active Dry yeast: 2 ¼ teaspoon/ 7g
Raisins: ¾ cup/95g
Apple juice: ¾ cup / 183 g (I used mots apple juice)
Salt: 1 teaspoon/4 g
Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon/ 12g
Ground cinnamon: 1 tablespoon/ 8g
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Water: ¾ cup / 165g
For Egg wash
Egg: 1 no
Water : 1 tablespoon
How I made
In a medium sauce pan add raisins, water, and apple juice and bring to boil for about 2 minutes and switch off the flame and set aside for cooling.
Once the apple juice raisin water is Luke warm strain and removes the raisins and set aside.
Add 1 cup of flour, yeast to apple juice water and set aside for 20 minutes or until the yeast get proofed.
In the bowl of kitchen aid stand mixer attached with paddle attachment add yeast flour mixture and rest of ingredients and mix everything for 3 minutes. Then add soaked raisin and mix very well to incorporate into the dough. Then change to dough hook and knead the dough for about 8 minutes or until the dough starts leaves from the sides and form a ball. Then transfer the dough to well floured area and knead for another 5 minutes or until they become shiny, supple, non sticky dough. The dough should pass the window pane test and register 77 to 81 F. If you are kneading by hand it takes about 15 minutes of kneading.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's expanded and looks somewhat puffy, about 90 minutes.
Lightly grease a 9" x 4" x 3", 1.5 lb. commercial loaf pan Transfer the dough into a board and gently shape the dough into a smooth log, and settle it into the pan, smooth side up.
Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise till it's crowned over the rim of the pan by about ¾", about 60 minutes. Don't let it rise too high; it'll continue to rise as it bakes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. When you are ready for baking the bread lightly apply the egg wash on the loaf so that you get shiny color after baking.
Bake the bread for 60 minutes. Lightly tent it with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional15 minutes, or until the center registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack.
Slice and serve when the bread cools down to room temperature. 
Enjoy
Preparation time: 4.5 hours
Yield: 1 loaf
Verdict: Delicious loaf
Will you make it again: Yes I will
I am sending this to Hearth and Soul blog hop Hosted here.
Yeastspotting
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
The 21st Century Housewife© says
Congratulations on winning the giveaway, Swathi! Your bread looks wonderful - I do love breads with fruit and cinnamon!
Elsa says
Congrats on the dot com! Your bread looks delicious! I wish I had a digital scale, but I don't. It's on my "must buy" list though.
Jayasri Ravi says
your bread looks awesome...
Elizabeth says
I love apple and cinnamon together!
Claudia says
This should tempt me away from my bread rut. I usually just bake once a week, a sourdough all purpose type loaf.
Lizzy says
Congrats on your Red Star prize! Your bread sounds amazing! Love the addition of apple juice...mmmmmm.
Vineetha says
congratulation to make it.com and belated nirthday wishes too 🙂
Bread as usual looks great..
abt ur question abt spincah puttu swathi..it doesnt have much taste diffrence or after taste..we all liked it 🙂
Shabbu says
perfect and yummy bread...
Shabbu's Tasty Kitchen
Kristina says
Mmm... omygosh your bread looks perfect! SO good!! I love cinnamon raisin bread, so add in apples and I can;t resist 🙂
Sensible Vegetarian says
Congrats Swathi on getting your new domain and also on winning the giveaway. The bread looks simply fantastic.
Reeni says
What a beautiful loaf of bread Swathi! Sounds so delicious too! I am happy for you to get your own domain. Yay! And congrats. Your page looks great!
Elisabeth says
I'm back again, Swathi. Thanks for the info re: the loaf pan, which is just about the same as the banana bread loaf pan, which I do have about 3 or 4 different kinds...same measurement.
When you stopped by my blog to comment, I didn't have the link up yet...have it now!
You're right about having a peace of mind with your own website. I did have my own on my previous blog, few years ago (not food blog) more like literature, which draws a whole different group of people!
Thanks for all the info...take care:D
Sha Jabi says
congrats dear,excellent work,i want to try
Vimitha Anand says
Congrats on ur win and the bread looks so beautifully done and flavorful
Elisabeth says
Swathi, that is such a beautiful giveaway gift you won from Red Star Yeast!
Congratulations! I'm so happy for you, because you are such an amazing bread baker. I had to smile to myself about you preferring grams instead of cups, which is so easy; and I noticed you did a conversion back to grams!
Your golden raisin cinnamon bread looks perfect and totally delicious. Now, I want to make this recipe, but the loaf pan looks bigger than the average loaf pans they sell! Can you give me the measurements (in inches) on that loaf pan, hopefully I don't have to be searching for one if it's a larger size than the average loaf pan!
I like your new backdrop, and glad you switched to .com. Wonder what the advantages are to having your own URL!
srividhya Ravikumar says
congrats swathi andbread looks gorgeous...
Rahin says
bread looks delicious
Usha says
Wow congratulations on your new domain !! Sweet gifts from your hubby 🙂
The bread looks fantastic, perfect and inviting:)
ANU says
wow awesome and perfectly baked bread....luv it!
nice clicks too!
"SYF&HWS - Cook With SPICES" Series
"SYF-HWS" - FENNEL SEEDS (June 5th to July 5th)
"ONLY MANGO" (June 1st to June 30st)
"Dish It Out" - BLACK BEANS and BELL PEPPER (June 1st to June 30st)
"Cooking with Whole Foods" - BROWN RICE (June 10th to Aug 10th)
Priya says
Wow wat a wonderful looking bread, i wont mind have few slices.. COngrats on ur win Swathi.
Spice up the Curry says
perfect step by step tutorial. love it
Rachana says
A perfectly baked bread! Would love to have a slice with my cuppa 🙂
Kaveri Venkatesh says
Congratulations Swathi on moving to your own domain and for the win...
The bread looks perfectly done..with raisins peeking here and there..
Gayathri NG says
So soft n delicious bread, nice combo...
Hema says
Congrats on your new domain, and the bread looks super soft and yummy..
Guru Uru says
Congrats on the giveaway my friend, well done 😀
And it's fabulous that you got your own domain!
Also this bread looks spectacular for breakfast!
Cheers
CCU
Anu says
They just looks so perfect Swathi..looks delicious..
spusht says
Congrats on the switch to .com & congrats on winning the giveaway, that's a lot of goodies!
I'm gonna wait for your beer bread post. I would love it as much as the yeast would 😀 hehe! 😀 😀
PT says
so soft bread and love the combination u used..