The Best Sweet Almond Raisin Yeast Bread
ALMOND RAISIN YEAST BREAD
Let’s talk today about sweet bread! Sweet bread is so diverse and I absolutely love adding dried fruit and nuts to my sweet bread to make an extra special breakfast treat, a brunch stand-out, or a bread for your holiday table. Whatever the reason, let’s get started. Here’s an awesome recipe for ALMOND RAISIN YEAST BREAD.
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ENRICHED DOUGH
This recipe uses instant yeast, eggs, butter, and sugar. It is an enriched dough. An enriched dough is exactly that – one that has added fat and sugar. It gives the dough a pleasant taste, a light sweetness, and a lovely soft crumb. These qualities make this Almond Raisin Yeast Bread an ideal treat for breakfast with a cup of coffee or dessert. Regardless when you decide to eat it, this bread is delicious all day long. Want to make a sweet dough without any added fruit or nuts – then pop on over to this enriched dough recipe.
ADDING FRUIT & NUTS TO BREAD
I absolutely love to add any kind of dried fruit and nuts to bread. Any and all kinds of bread can be enhanced with a dried fruit/nut combo like the apricots and pecans pictured. (Hint: Do not use fresh fruit as it has a high liquid content and can change the consistency of your bread). Dried fruit and nuts in bread adds flavor, nutrition (protein from the nuts and fiber from the fruit), and texture. Want to try a more rustic fruit and nut bread without added sweeteners or fat? Check out this classic rustic bread recipe for no knead apricot and pecan rustic bread.
IS THIS ALMOND AND RAISIN YEAST BREAD HARD TO MAKE?
Not at all! You can do it easily by following along with the step-by-step instructions, which I wrote with the beginner bread baker in mind. However, there are a few tools that are helpful in any serious bread-baker’s kitchen and those can be found here. Also, if you have not read my article on the 12 Steps of Bread Baking, you should spend a bit of time on that before starting, it will help explain what all good bread bakers should understand about baking bread. Here is a snapshot of process photos:
HELP! I AM NEW TO BREAD BAKING – HOW DO I PREPARE?
Ready to bake? Follow these steps to ensure success:
- Read the entire recipe from start to finish – alway’s begin with the end in mind, but you won’t know the end until you read all the way through. 😃
- Pull out all the equipment you need to bake your bread (bowls, scale, mixer, etc.)
- Pull out your ingredients.
- Scale your ingredients using a digital scale – weighing is the most precise way to bake, although I do offer imperial measurements, but I recommend you weigh them.
- Prep ingredients as needed (in this recipe, you will need to hydrate the yeast, melt the butter and crack the eggs).
- Set up your stand mixer with the dough hook and let’s bake!
Thanks for stopping by for a visit today. I hope you are finding Christina’s Bread Bakes delightful. Leave a comment or question below, I love hearing from my readers, you are awesome Bread Bakers!
Raisin and Almond Sweet Yeast Bread
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer with dough hook
- Various Measuring Bowls 2 large; 3 small
- 1 Bench scraper
- 1 Digital Kitchen Scale
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 225 grams Water 2 cups
- 5 grams Active Dry Yeast 1 ½ tsp
- 56 grams Butter, melted ¼ cup
- 40 grams Granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 3 grams Sea Salt ½ tsp
- 2 ea Eggs
- 440 grams AP Flour 3 ½ cups
- 105 grams Sliced Almonds 1 cup
- 1 cup Raisins
For Bread Topping
- 1 ea Egg
- 1 tsp Water
- 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
Instructions
Bread Dough
- Scale all ingredients into measuring bowls using a digital scale.
- Check water temperature using a digital kitchen thermometer – it should measure no 90-100℉ (35-38℃).
- Add a pinch of the sugar to the water and stir.
- Then add the yeast to the water and stir; set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Meanwhile, set up your stand mixer with a dough hook (read about my preferred stand mixer here).
- When yeast is foamy, pour the water and yeast mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt and mix together with whisk or by hand.
- Add the flour, change to the dough hook, and turn your mixer to level 1. Mix for two minutes until all wet ingredients are hydrated. Turn mixer off and scrape down the sides, if needed.
- Turn mixer to level 2. Mix for five more minutes. Add the raisins and sliced almonds. Mix until incorporated. Dough should begin to climb the dough hook but still stick to the bottom of the bowl. Continue to add 1 T (spoonful) of flour until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Scrape dough onto a flat work surface.
- Knead into a ball with a bit of flour to prevent sticking.
- Put ball into a container and cover. Set aside in a warm location to bulk proof until doubled in size.
- Once dough has doubled in size, flour a work surface and dump dough out.
- Deflate the dough by pushing gently on it and folding it over, flip it so the fold is on the bottom.
- Cut the dough using a bench scraper into two equal sections.
- Roll each section to about 18 inches (45 cm) long. If dough is hard to roll, allow it to rest for 10 minutes and then continue on.
- Slightly flatten the roll. Then beginning on one end, roll the bread up into a snail shape. Tuck the tail under the bread dough.
- Place the shaped dough onto a half-sized baking sheet 18 x 36 inches (45 cm x 90 cm) lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel; allow shaped dough to proof until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
- Thoroughly mix one egg with 1 tsp of water.
- Using a pastry brush, gently brush egg wash on the dough.
- Sprinkle with one half of the almonds. Repeat the process to make a second one. Place 3" apart on the tray.
- Bake bread for 30-35 minutes until it begins to brown. Check internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer, internal temp should read 190℉ (88℃). If needed, bake for 5 more minutes until internal temp is achieved.
- Remove dough from baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
- Store unused bread that is completely cooled in a tightly sealed plastic bag or container. Bread can be sliced and frozen for future use. Take one piece out at a time and toast.