Full Disclosure: I was ill-prepared this Easter, and we didn’t have the right ingredients to make a proper Easter post (I actually thought Easter was next weekend). My children all wanted Paska (Easter Bread), and have been asking daily for the last week, and I thought it was weird that they would ask for Paska a week before Easter. But to my defense, this pandemic has really thrown me off. But I had to go to the store for some essentials, you know, milk, eggs, toilet paper, dog food, etc. So I suited up and went to the store yesterday to get what I needed, as well as pick up ingredients for Paska, but couldn’t find icing sugar or yeast anywhere. So I went home empty-handed. But my kids were wanting still some sort of Easter bread, so I decided to try my artisan bread because I didn’t have enough yeast to make any other type of bread, but had just enough for my artisan bread. And decided to add cinnamon and raisins to make it a bit sweet and kind of like hot cross buns.
While I was going over different traditional foods to make for Easter, I realized that there really aren’t that many. Maybe I was just sheltered, but the only things that came to mind were paska, hot cross buns, lamb and ham. So if you have a traditional Easter food that you or your family makes every year, please let me know!
For anyone that hasn’t read my artisan bread post, and is wondering what artisan bread actually is, it is a no-knead bread that usually consists of flour, water, salt, and yeast. And it uses time while proofing to do the kneading for you. It is cheaper and easier to make than most bread recipes without all of the additives that store-bought bread consists of. So because I didn’t have the right ingredients to make Paska (Easter Bread) or Hot Cross Buns, I decided to make my artisan bread, but add some of the flavors of the hot cross buns while still keeping it simple and rustic.
So I made my artisan bread recipe and added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 1 cup of raisins. This is what my family thought: my better half thought there were far too many raisins. She doesn’t really like raisins to begin with but doesn’t mind a few in baking. She suggested adding only 1/2 a cup next time but loved the subtle cinnamon and brown sugar flavor. My daughter, who despises raisins, loved the amount of raisins, and the flavor and wouldn’t change anything (we are still confused). My youngest son, doesn’t care about anything that isn’t a video game, so he shoved it in his mouth while playing fortnite and I think he mumbled something about lots of raisins and amazing? My oldest son started talking about hot cross buns, and icing and moved onto butter horns. I think he liked it though? I thought it was great, I didn’t want it to be sweet, and I think it delivered! I did use golden raisins, but I think that next time I would use sultana raisins. We ate it warm with butter and it was gone within the hour.
First, you need to gather your ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast (I prefer quick rise yeast, only because I still have a fear of traditional yeast ruining my bread), brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.
Mix 3 cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 – 1 cup of raisins in a mixing bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, mix together 12 oz of warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and let it sit until the yeast starts to foam (maybe you don’t have to do this, but I do because I really don’t trust my yeast).
Anyway, pour the yeast/water mixture into the flour/salt/cinnamon/brown sugar/raisin mixture.
Stir it with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated (no kneading required!).
Place your dough in a sealed container (or a mixing bowl covered with saran wrap), and let it sit/proof for 7-12hours. I put my containers in the oven with the light on as our house is quite cool in the winter. (I bought these specifically for bread making).
After about 7 hours, your dough should have risen to double and have lots of bubbles in it!
At this time, I take the dough out of the oven. I sprinkle a generous amount of flour on the counter, plop the dough out on the flour, and fold in all four corners. I then place that ball of dough in a clean pie plate and cover with a tea towel.
And let it rise for 1-2 hours. I find 1 1/2 hours works best for me. After 1 hour, I preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a dutch oven or casserole dish inside.
You will be baking the bread in either a casserole dish (at least 3.5 q) or a dutch oven (at least 3.5 q). I have tried both, and found that when baked the exact same, give entirely different loaves of bread. The bread in the casserole dish was a thicker, chewier crust, while the dutch oven produced a thinner, crunchier crust. I got my dutch oven from Canadian Tire when they were giving them away (not literally, but it was 85% off…I still don’t know how they are able to have such low prices and stay in business). Anyway, here is one that I found that is similar to mine.
Remove piping hot dutch oven/casserole dish from oven, spray with cooking spray, and plop your dough into it being careful not to burn yourself (it really hurts). Using kitchen scissors, or a sharp knife, make some cuts in the top. Put the lid on, and put it back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I like to remove the lid and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes to let the top crisp up. (This picture is of my plain artisan bread, I forgot to take a new picture for this blog, sorry!)
At that point, remove the casserole dish/dutch oven and carefully dump the loaf of bread out and place on a cooling rack until it’s cool.
No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 3+ Cups Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Yeast
- 12 oz Water
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 – 1 cup Raisins
Instructions
- Mix 3 cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon on cinnamon, and 1/2 – 1 cup of raisins in a mixing bowl.
- In a glass measuring cup, mix together 12 oz of warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon ofyeast and let it sit until the yeast starts to foam.
- Pour the yeast/water mixture into the flour/salt mixture.
- Stir it with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated (no kneading required!)
- Place your dough in a sealed container (or a mixing bowl covered with saran wrap),and let it sit/proof for 7-12 hours.
- After about 7 hours, your dough should have risen to double and have lots of bubblesin it!
- Take the dough of the oven. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on the counter,plop the dough out on the flour, and fold in all four corners. Place that ball of dough in a clean pie plate and cover with a tea towel.
- Let it rise for 1-2 hours. I find 1 1/2 hours works best for me. 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a dutch oven or casserole dish inside.
- Remove piping hot dutch oven/casserole dish from oven, spray with cooking spray, and plop your dough into it being careful not to burn yourself (it really hurts).
- Using kitchen scissors, or a sharp knife, make some cuts in the top (i'm notsure why, but it looks pretty). Put the lid on, and put it back in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I like to remove the lid and let it bake for another 5 mintues to let the top crisp up.
- At that point, remove the casserole dish/dutch oven and carefully dump the loaf of bread out and place on a cooking rack until it's cool. Slice and enjoy!
I started making no knead bread last year and it is awesome. Can’t understand why our ancestors worked so hard to make bread with all that kneading.
I mix my ingredients (I use bread flour and like it better than AP) the night before, in oven with light on like you, and let sit until I remember to do something with it, sometimes as long as 18 hours later! Then take it out and place on floured counter, fold it (3-4X) with grated cheese, lots of garlic and onion powder and chopped green onions.
Place it on a big piece of parchment and back in oven for at least 90 minutes then preheat the Dutch oven. The parchment makes it super easy to place in and remove from the VERY hot Dutch oven. (Remember when you put the hot lid aside that the knob is EXTREMELY hot so maybe use a pot holder to replace. How do I know? Let’s just say I know. LOL)
The rest is the same as you and I know it is done when instant read thermometer says 210F. One note, it is apparently not good to preheat cast iron Dutch ovens, like yours and mine, without something in them. So I put a couple cups of hot tap water in the Dutch oven, lid on and preheat for 30 minutes. Pour the water out, quick wipe with a towel and in it goes. I don’t always use the cheese but it is the one people like the best.