The caraway seeds and sugar in this bread are a surprisingly delightful combination. Melissa Bouchard began baking bread at the age of 7, and at age 13 she entered in competition five ethnic recipes she’d never made before. This one received a blue ribbon. It’s delicious with a bowl of soup for supper. Melissa Bouchard, Coventry, Rhode Island—Washington County Fair, Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Yield:
2 loavesIngredients
1 cup raisins
1 cup milk
3-1/2 to 4 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 to 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Soak the raisins in the milk for a few minutes. Drain, reserving the milk, and dredge the raisins with 1/2 cup of the flour. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and reserved milk. Combine 3 cups of the flour with the salt, baking powder, and caraway seeds. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Stir in the raisins. Pour the batter into 2 greased 8-1/2×4-1/2-inch pans. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks. Wrap in a kitchen towel to prevent the crust from hardening.
