Multigrain Spiced Raisin Bread

I braved the outside world to go grab a bag of rye and then completely forgot that Bread Bakers day was this Tuesday. I had next Tuesday in mind. Dates mean nothing in this new world. Luckily I remembered in time.

But can we talk about the extreme heat? Is it hot where you are? It's high 80's / 90's inside my house - even at night. This dough required a couple cycles of kneading and resting. Each time my dough would be very puffed up. I wish I had used less yeast. At one point I grabbed some ice to slow things down. I really want to revive my sourdough starter but I don't know how to maintain it in this heat.

Today, the Bread Bakers, hosted by Karen's Kitchen Stories, are baking breads with rye. My loaf is adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Peter Reinhart. It is originally used mainly whole wheat but I used white because it has been years since I have worked with a completely whole grain loaf. Gone are the days I used to bake bread at least once per week. My skills are rusty. Read the instructions carefully. Peter Reinhart's recipes are notorious for not being the straightforward - mix all the ingredients and then bulk ferment, the end.

Multigrain Spiced Raisin Bread

Ingredients
Dough

330g bread flour
40g oats
40g rye
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup water/
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup raisins

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons flour
1 egg white plus half tablespoon water

Directions

Whisk bread flour, oats, rye, sugar, yeast, mixed spice, and salt. Beat the yolk and add it along with the milk, water, and oil. Stir together for a minute then allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

Knead for 2 minutes. The dough will be a sticky but if it seems extremely wet, add a little flour. If it's dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time. 

Knead for 4 minutes.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Knead a few times then cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 

Knead then rest for 10 more minutes. 

Fold in the raisins. 

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Allow to proof until doubled at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. I prefer to refrigerate overnight since the dough is a bit sticky and since my house is so hot. A slower rise leads to tastier bread. 

After proofing, prepare the filling. 

Combine sugar, mixed spice, and flour. 

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a 16" x 8" rectangle. Brush the dough with the egg white and water mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the dough leaving a bit of one short end clean. 

Starting a the short side (not the one you left with a clean edge), roll the dough into a long. Press the seam and the ends closed. Place inside a greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. 

Allow to proof at room temperature until it has doubled (approximately 40 minutes). Halfway through, preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Bake for 40 minutes. The loaf will be at 190 F when cooked and sound hollow when tapped. 

Notes 

• Mixed spice is what it sounds like - a mixture of spices popular here in Jamaica. The brand I used is a mixture of pimento, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and orange peel. 
• I was out of raisins so I used currants. 
• I used dark rye because that's all my supermarket had. In a future iteration, I'll use a higher percentage of rye. 

• Black Pepper Rye from A Messy Kitchen
• Coffee Scones with Maple, Raisins, and Rye from Palatable Pastime
• Everyday Multigrain Rye Sourdough from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Light Rye Sourdough Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Multigrain Spiced Raisin Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Overnight Rye Buns from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Rye Boule from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Spelt and Rye Breakfast Sourdough Bread from Cook with Renu
• Tangzhong Method Rye Bread from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.