A Prize Graham Loaf With Raisins Galore

1 ¼ yeast cakes
½ cupful water
¾ cupful milk
2 teaspoonfuls shortening
2 tablespoonfuls molasses
2 ½ cupfuls graham flour
2 ¼ cupfuls white flour
1 teaspoonful salt
2 ounces seedless raisins
Dissolve the yeast cake in the half cupful of tepid water; to this add the milk, melted shortening, salt and molasses. Mix this with the flour until it forms a soft dough. (Just enough to handle without sticking.)
Knead until the dough is elastic and smooth. Grease, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Knead again, work in the lightly dredged raisins, which have been soaked in and absorbed a half cupful of water. Mold, place in a greased pan and again leave to rise double.
Bake the loaf for an hour in a moderate oven (350 degrees F., rising to .375 degrees and dropping again to 350 degrees for the last twenty minutes.).

When made in the Institute two ounces of seeded raisins were added without soaking or dredging, being merely separated, while for the other loaf two ounces of seeded, soaked raisins that had absorbed two tablespoonfuls of water were worked into the dough just before molding. These loaves were baked together in a two-loaf pan, with the result that the one with the soaked raisins weighed one pound and two ounces, while the other loaf, with the dry fruit, weighed only one pound one-half ounce and was noticeably smaller. The loaf with the unsoaked raisins was, however, of a much better texture, and these seeded raisins should be used dry, if at all, in bread making. Here we see another reason for using the seedless soaked raisins in bread. We also recommend a slightly larger amount as stated in the recipe above – i. e., three ounces to a pound of dough.

The flavor and texture of this bread was that of Parker House rolls, and it could just as well be made up in rolls as into a loaf.