Saffron Raisin Bread

Bread. It’s pretty high up on my list. But I’m particular. I like FRESH bread. Bread right out of the oven. Chewy, tender, warm, crusty, thick sliced bread with real butter on it. Whoa! Who does that anymore? Me.

This Saffron Raisin Bread recipe I found in an old issue (Dec 2003) of Cooking Light has been a delight. I couldn’t find a link to it on their website (gosh, too old do you think? Ha!). So I’ve listed the recipe below, but the way I make it (not as the original recipe says to make it), is way easier because I throw all the ingredients into my bread machine.

I’ve made it probably ten times in the past few months. I was buying my saffron at Trader Joes, and as much as I love TJ’s, their saffron wasn’t the best. So I went online and found Saffron Vanilla Imports. Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, but you don’t need very much to have a wonderful effect both in fragrance and color.

I promptly purchased a small quantity of saffron and could see the difference in quality in the fragrance and color. So I went back into the kitchen and made some more saffron raisin bread. Gosh have I been going through bags of raisins! It takes 1 1/2 cups of raisins per recipe, so that ends up being a lot of raisins. No matter. It’s worth it.

Saffron and Raisin Breakfast Bread

• 1 1/3 cups warm fat-free milk (100-110 degrees)

• 1/4 tsp saffron threads crushed

• 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast

• 1/2 cup warm water (100 – 110 degrees)

• 5 1/4 cups bread flour (I use all-purpose flour)

• 1 1/2 cups raisin

• 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp sugar

• 3 tblsp melted butter

• 1 tsp salt

I put the whole kit and kaboodle into my bread maker (wet ingredients on the bottom and dry ingredients on top) and turn it on to the “dough” cycle. When it’s done, I take it out, cut it in half, and shape two small loaves. Let is rise about 30 minutes or almost doubled in size (if it’s smaller, you just get a chewier loaf). Heat your oven up to 375 degrees. Bake for about 30+ minutes until hollow when tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Or heck, don’t cool it at all and slice into it and smother with butter and eat! That’s how I roll.

Oh, and it’s NOT just for breakfast. I eat it for dinner too. Enjoy!