Cooking is an art that can be very rewarding, especially when you create something that is not only delicious but beautiful to look at. A perfect example of this is a well-made grape loaf. This sweet, fruity bread is a delight to eat and is also stunning to look at with its bright, ruby-colored grapes. So, let's start making our grape bread!
Ingredients
- 1 kg of wheat flour
- 500 g of raisins
- 500 ml of warm water
- 2 tablespoons of dry yeast
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 gem for brushing
Preparation
To start, take a large bowl and add the wheat flour. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and add the dry yeast. Add some of the warm water to the yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
While the yeast is activating, get another bowl and add the raisins. Cover the raisins with warm water and let them soak for about 10 minutes. This will help hydrate the raisins and make them juicier in the finished bread.
Once the yeast is activated, add the sugar, salt, oil and eggs to the bowl with the flour. Start mixing the ingredients together, gradually adding the remaining warm water. Continue to mix until dough begins to form.
Once the dough is formed, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it's too dry, add a little more water.
Once the dough is well kneaded, drain the raisins and add them to the dough. Work the raisins into the dough, making sure they are evenly distributed.
Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it back on the work surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape each into a loaf. Place the buns on a greased baking sheet and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 180°C. When the buns are ready to go in the oven, brush them with the egg yolk to give them a beautiful golden color.
Bake the loaves in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let the loaves cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
And there it is! Your homemade grape bread is ready to be enjoyed. This bread is wonderful served warm from the oven with a little butter, or cold with a cup of tea or coffee. Hope you enjoy making and eating this bread as much as I do!
