Best Whole Wheat Apricot Raisin Bread Recipes

WHOLE-WHEAT CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough.
• Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix 3 minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix 5 more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky.
• Let it rise.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Soak the raisins.
• Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Fold the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides of the dough.
• Add the filling.
• Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon (it's high in antioxidants!), brown sugar and raisins.
• Form the loaves.
• Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Bake the bread.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

APRICOT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Soak apricots in warm water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, cream the sugar, butter and egg. Stir in orange juice. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until combined. Drain apricots well; add to batter with nuts. Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack.

APRICOT RAISIN BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Heat cold milk for 30 seconds in the microwave; hold eggs under tap water for a minute to warm.
• Add ingredients according to your manufacturer's directions.
• Set Cycle: Sweet, Size, 2lb.
• After about 5 minutes, check your dough: Add a tablespoon of water if too dry, or a tablespoon of flour if too wet, until dough is smooth.
• Alternatively, set cycle to dough, take dough out and shape as desired.
• I like to divide the dough in half, then divide each half into three, roll into ropes and braid, joining the dough ends together to create a braided circle.
• Leave to rise until doubled, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS (SPOTTED DOG)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together flours, soda, salt and brown sugar. Swish mixture around with your hands to distribute salt and soda through the bread. Add raisins and toss mixture together to coat raisins with flour.
• Beat egg and place in a measuring cup. Add buttermilk; the liquid in the cup should measure about 1 3/4 cups.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour egg/buttermilk mixture into the well. Working from the center of the bowl in concentric clockwise circles, with fingers outstretched, stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. (You can use a rubber spatula instead if you don't like getting dough on your hands.) This should take about a half a minute at most. Dough will be sticky and ragged.
• Dust your work surface with flour, clean and dry your hands and dust with flour. Scrape out dough and very quickly and gently pat it into a 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high round and tuck the bottom edges under. (Alternatively, place in a lightly buttered 10-inch round cake pan.) Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. Moisten a knife and cut a deep cross across top of bread.
• Place in oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400 degrees. Bake 40 minutes, until the loaf is dark brown and makes a hollow sound when tapped. Remove from oven, wrap loosely in a kitchen towel (to soften the crust) and place on a rack to cool.

WHOLE WHEAT APRICOT RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Chop apricots into 1/2" pieces and soak them in the milk for 4 hours.
• Place the flour, salt, baking powder, soda and nutmeg in a bowl and cut in butter. Add sugar and raisins.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the beaten egg and the milk and apricots. Mix well to make a soft dough.
• Place mixture in a greased 1-pound loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
• Turn the loaf onto a wire rack to cool.