Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Can you imagine how much our lives would change if we were suddenly transported back in time, back to the days when women had to do everything by hand? No freezer, refrigerator, self-cleaning oven, microwave oven, coffee pot or grinder, blender, mixer or dishwasher. And most importantly...no "electricity". Which meant...you also had to make your own light source... candles.

A glass of milk? Sure thing...don't forget the bucket on your way out to the barn in the morning. And no butter unless you're prepared to churn for hours. Want chicken soup for dinner? No problem. Just run out to the shed and kill, pluck, clean and cut up a chicken. And don't forget to stop by the garden on your way back to the house, for potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, corn or green beans. And before you can cook the food, you'll need to build a nice fire. In a home with NO air conditioning. And when you're not hanging out in the garden... you can wash the laundry "by hand".

Mrs Steele lived during time period I am referring to. Around 100 years ago. Yet...she somehow found time to document her recipes so that I would be able to share them with other people who enjoyed cooking.

If she were alive today; I wonder how she would feel, knowing her recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread has made it into kitchens all over the world the world.

Recipe shared by: Mrs. Steele

1 pint Water, room temp
¼ cup Lard or Shortening
2 lbs Raisins
1 pint Milk
4 lbs All Purpose Flour
1½ oz Dry Yeast
¼ cup Granulated Sugar
¼ tsp Table Salt

Grease bottom and sides of 4 large bread loaf pans, and set aside until called for in instructions.

In large saucepan, combine milk and water, and heat until liquid is warm (not hot). Dissolve yeast completely in warm Milk mixture, then add all other ingredients, and mix until well blended. Pour mixture out onto a floured cutting board or other flat surface. Knead dough for 3 minutes (6-10 pulls & folds with hands). Pat dough into round ball, and place it inside a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a light cotton kitchen towel and place it in a warm area in the kitchen. Allow the dough to rise to twice it's current size (1-2 hours).

After dough doubles in size, place dough onto floured surface again, and punch down inside the center of the dough with both fists, several times. Knead dough for a few minutes with hands, pulling outer edges of dough toward the center, then pushing the edges down into the center of the ball. Repeat this motion until the size of the dough is reduced again. Separate dough into small oval shapes, which will fit into the bottom half of several bread pans. (Do not over fill pans.) Place covered pans in a warm, dark area, and let the dough rise again.

When dough rises above sides of pan, bake bread in a 450° oven until golden brown on top, and wooden toothpick comes out clean from the center of each loaf.