Anise Raisin Bread

Last Updated on June 4, 2015 by Chef Mireille

As I continue on my bread baking journey this week, here is a flavorful wheat bread, that is perfect for cinnamon toast or served with jam or preserves!!!

I was inspired to make this bread by my Mom, who loves the flavor of anise…when I gave her the extra loaf of this bread, she immediately tasted the spice and was so happy.

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat bread flour or whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 tablespoon salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
2 1/4 cups warm water (120 – 130 F)
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 graham crackers, crushed ( I used honey flavored ones)
1 tablespoon crushed anise seeds
1 tablespoon whole anise seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins

Mix wheat flour, honey, shortening, salt and yeast in a large bowl.  Add warm water and mix until well moistened.

Stir in bread flour, one cup at a time.  After 2 cups, knead in whole anise seed and raisins.

When this is well incorporated, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary.  I only needed to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour.

Place in a greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.  Let rise for 45 – 60 minutes, until light and doubled in size.

Grease 2 loaf pans.
Punch down dough to remove air bubbles and divide in half.

Roll each half into a rectangle and then roll tightly, starting with the narrow end.  Press the edges to seal and place seam side down in the loaf pan.

Cover and let rise another 30-40 minutes, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Bake for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine crushed anise seeds and graham cracker crumbs and mix well.  Brush tops of loaves with melted butter and then sprinkle the cracker mix on top of loaves and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

The bread came out the perfect texture,

I’ll probably double the quantity of raisins the next time I make it.  Also, what I hoped would be a crumb topping mostly flaked off, so this was unnecessary too.  I certainly wasn’t going to repeat the entire recipe, just for the purpose of the Blogging Marathon, as this bread still came out yummy and perfect, for sandwiches.  These are simply adjustments I will make, to improve the recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15


This recipe is being sent to Vardhini’s Bake Fest at Zesty Palette/Cooks’ Joy, hosted this month by Sumee 

Chef Mireille
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