Ingredients
Procedure
- Twelve (12) hours before final mixing, gently mix sponge ingredients together with bench scraper or wooden spoon until mixture forms shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and leave at room temperature (75°F) for 12 hours.
- Macerate raisins and currants in warm water or orange juice (75°F) just to cover. Let stand for 12 hours. (Desired final macerated weight is approximately 72% raisins/currants and 28% liquid.)
Final mixing:
- Break sponge into smaller pieces and place in bowl of spiral mixer. Add flours, milk, yeast, salt, sugar and 90% of the water.
- Mix for 3 minutes on 1st speed, adding only enough of the remaining water to make fairly stiff dough. (Amount of water needed depends on absorbency of flour.)
- Mix for 3 minutes on 2nd speed to develop gluten until a window begins to appear when the dough is stretched. (A strong dough must be formed before adding butter. If the dough is not strong at this point, it will drop coming out of the oven.)
- Continue mixing on 2nd speed, quickly incorporating butter in small pieces. (Butter should be soft and pliable, but still cold. Dough will be smooth and shiny. Desired dough temperature is 75°F. Do not over mix.)
- Drain raisins and currants; scale desired macerated weight. Add raisins and currants last and mix on 2nd speed just until fully incorporated.
- Cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Fold dough and let rest for another 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile for Egg Wash, beat egg thoroughly adding water as needed in a small bowl; set aside. Then, for CinnamonSugar, combine brown and granulated sugars with cinnamon in another small bowl and mix well. Stir in chopped pecans; set aside.
Shaping:
- Divide dough into four 17.7-ounce (500-gram) pieces. Then, mold into loaves to fit in oiled 4 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking pans. Cut each loaf crosswise into 6 to 8 pieces. Dip each piece in Egg Wash and coat with the Cinnamon-Sugar and chopped pecans. Then, reassemble each loaf, piece by piece, in the oiled baking pan. 3
- Let loaves rise for 1 hour at 75°F to 80˚F. Bake at 350˚F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool loaves.
- For Icing, mix sifted powdered sugar with water until it has a smooth consistency that drizzles easily and drizzle on tops.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
(Calories from Fat %); ( );Try Another Recipe
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A ¼ cup serving of raisins provides 7% of the daily value for fiber.