California Raisin Gourmet Bread Mix
A fabulous loaf with extra raisins, cinnamon, and a touch of orange.
I love raisin bread, and this is not your everyday raisin bread. It has more raisins, more cinnamon, and a touch of orange, which is a dynamite addition. It's like a touch of sunshine. You'll never go back to ordinary raisin bread.
The base recipe is right on—a plump, light, and airy bread. This is my all-time favorite raisin bread.
We make it the way it is. Sometimes, we make cinnamon rolls, and sometimes, we fill the bread with the cinnamon, raisin, and sugar mixture like a cinnamon roll and bake it as a loaf.
This bread is fabulous.
Customer Questions
Is this another homemade bread like Country Farm White? Yes, it's very close. That's the base mix. We added raisins, cinnamon, sugar, and the orange.
So is it as soft and light as Country Farm White? Yes.
What does it taste like? Well, you get raisins in every bite. It's naturally sweeter. The orange is a background flavor--kind of a fruity orchard flavor. The combination is delightful.
What do I have to add to the mix? Water and butter. The yeast is in a packet in the mix. Be sure to cut the packet open and add the yeast to the other ingredients.
In the reviews, I see bread at 190 degrees. What is that all about? They baked their bread in the oven rather than a bread machine and tested it with a thermometer to see if it was done.
190 degrees is the minimum temperature that bread needs to reach to be baked. Less than that and it's doughy. But bread doesn't always bake uniformly. If their thermometer was accurate, part of a loaf reached 190 degrees but not the entire loaf.
When testing for doneness with a thermometer, test in multiple places and press the probe all the way to the center.
Dennis Weaver
Baker's Notes
We use bakers' grade fresh raisins matched with select cinnamon we can find, and complemented with the flavor of California oranges. The raisins plump up in baking. The cinnamon is much better than that found in grocery stores--a quality Korintje cassia cinnamon imported from Indonesia that really makes a difference.
This is a very aromatic raisin bread and will smell wonderful baking in your kitchen.
"I love this bread!!!! Generous in raisin content and not overpowering with cinnamon. Plain is delicious and toasted with butter is yummy!!! I did add 1 extra tablespoon of water as my bread machine suggested to make the crust softer which worked very well. Great mix!!!!" -Jannynet
Don't miss this sunny California bread!
Making Cinnamon Rolls or a Cinnamon Loaf
How would I make cinnamon rolls or a rolled cinnamon loaf? Roll it into a rectangular sheet 1/4-inch thick. Spread a heavy coating of butter over the dough and then sprinkle the filling over the butter.
Starting with the long edge, roll the dough tightly. Pinch the edges to the dough to seal the filling.
If you're making cinnamon rolls, cut the log into 12 slices, position them in a well-greased 8 1//2 by 11-inch pan in a three-by-four roll pattern, and bake.
If you are making a loaf, roll it starting from the short side and form it into a loaf in a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Making Bread Pudding with Your Bread
This is a delightful bread pudding. We made it in little ceramic bowls, but you could also use ramekins or a six-cup baking dish. In a baking dish, you may need to increase the baking time—just test it with a knife for doneness.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or rum flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 slices of California Raisin Bread cut into 1-inch cubes
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, maple syrup, flavoring, and salt. Whisk together well.
- Stir in the bread cubes. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Turn into six buttered one-cup ramekins or bowls. Set the bowls in a large baking pan of water. Pour hot water into baking pan to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until a knife comes out clean.
- Let cool in the bowls. Once cool, use a soft silicone spatula to loosen the pudding from the ramekins. Turn the puddings onto individual plates for serving and drizzle with the sauce.
Baker’s notes: Cooking times may vary substantially depending on the pan, the water added, and the water temperature. The pudding will be done when the eggs are set. The knife test is simple and reliable.
We used a soft, thin spatula to loosen the puddings from the ramekins, turned each pudding into the palm of our hands, and then reinverted them onto serving plates. It was easy and simple.
For the sauce
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the cornstarch. While stirring and over medium heat, drizzle in the cream. Add the granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
California Raisin Bread Pudding made in a larger bowl and then added to serving-sized bowls.