You may vary between these two recipes, but these are my top two - which I keep coming back to! 
Sweet Raisin, Greek, Bread loaf or Rolls
Stafidopsoma – Recipe, 1
Makes: 26 small rolls or 2 loaves – OR – Makes one large bread in a Russel Hobbs bread machine and a smaller sized loaf in a Sunbeam Bread machine.
If Using a bread Machine: Add liquid ingredients first – followed by the dry, flour mixture. Make a well in the center and empty in your yeast.
I glazed my loaves using the glaze recipe below in Recipe Number 2.
NOTE:
If your raisins or sultanas are on the dry side do not skip this very important stage: Soak them in hot water until plumped up or microwave on 100 % power in a little water to cover 30-seconds.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
¼ cup melted, unsalted butter or margarine
½ cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons grated lemon rind (optional) – I used the zest of about 3 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
20 g (30 ml) instant yeast – or – 1 Oz fresh yeast
250 ml tepid water (100 deg F)
812 g (6.5 cups / 1,624 ml) strong bread flour
250g raisins (500 ml)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Method:
Boil the milk and stir in the butter, sugar, peel, salt, and soda. Set aside to cool until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water, which must be no more than body temperature or you will kill the yeast!
Add enough of the flour to make a thick, pourable , paste, cover, and leave it in a warm place to rise, until doubled in bulk, about 10 minutes. Sift the remaining flour into a large basin and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk mixture. Gradually incorporate the flour from the sides of the well into the liquid and knead the dough thoroughly, until it is smooth and elastic about 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and brush the surface with a little butter. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 ½ – 2 hours depending on temperature and humidity. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. With a rolling pin, flatten each half on a floured wooden board, into ½ inch thick rounds. Sprinkle with the raisins and roll the rounds up tightly. Place into two greased bread pans or divide into 26 equal portions. Form each portion into a broad cigar shape, rolling the dough backward and forwards under your fingers. Place the rolls well apart on greased or lined baking sheets. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rise until they are doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Brush the rolls with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds (Optional). Bake in a 400 deg F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool before serving or storing. Wrapped and sealed tightly in plastic bags, the rolls can keep well for several months in the freezer.
Alternate: Use the same dough to make jam-filled croissants.
Raisin Loaf 2
From the book, "My Way with Food," by Pamela Shippel.
Makes 3 medium loaves. A moist raisin loaf. Serve buttered, once cooled and the caramelized glaze has set on top.
Note:
Instant, fast-acting yeast – I like the NCP brand sold in South Africa, which comes in a red package – Use a good brand.
Best working temperature for yeast is between 21C – 29 C. Do not be tempted to ferment yeast at a higher temperature.
Ingredients:
500 g raisins
30 g (3 sachets) Instant yeast
(210 g) 250 ml castor sugar
1 kg (8 cups) [2000 ml] Bread flour
10 ml of salt
180g soft butter
4 large eggs
400 ml buttermilk – OR – 25 ml white vinegar or lemon juice plus 375 ml milk
Method:
To make buttermilk measure vinegar or lemon juice into a jug. Top up with milk. Stir and set aside to allow thickening for few a minutes.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add yeast.
Add enough buttermilk to form a soft dough. Mix well, adding a little extra sifted flour if the dough is too wet or a little extra liquid if the dough is too dry. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth & elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place - no more than 35 deg C, or you will kill the yeast - to rise until doubled in size. Soak raisins in hot water until plump or microwave on 100 % power in a little water to cover for 30 seconds. Drain very well. Lightly knead the raisins into the risen dough. Divide the dough into 3. Shape into loaves & place into greased, medium-sized, loaf pans. Leave covered in a warm place, or in greased blown up plastic bags to rise until doubled in size. This takes quite a while due to the butter and sugar content in the dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes. Whilst loaves are baking, prepare sugar syrup glaze…
Sugar Syrup Glaze:
250 ml caramel, brown sugar
125 ml of water
5 ml glycerin
Method:
Dissolve the sugar over very low heat in stainless steel or an unchipped enamel pot. Do not bring to boil until all sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, add the glycerin to prevent sugar from crystallizing. Bring to boil, stirring very quickly, reduce to a thick caramel syrup. You will see this if you take it off the heat for a while, and by allowing it to cool a bit, it will become thicker. Do not allow it to become like toffee or burn. If using a sugar thermometer, you must remove from heat once it reaches “transparent icing” stage. Brush surface of each loaf immediately, once removed from the oven. Leave the sugar syrup glaze to set, and then turn out of tins. Allow to cool down before slicing and serving.
Further Reading:
Wheat flour already contains 2.5% sugar so that any mixture of flour and water will readily ferment without any addition of any extra sugar. What is important is the concentration of sugar which the yeast is expected to ferment. The optimum is approximately 12.5% and concentrations above this having a retarding effect. This must be remembered when doughs are made which are very rich in sugar. The yeast content must be increased considerably to compensate for this effect.
Enjoy!
Sweet Raisin, Greek, Bread loaf or Rolls
Stafidopsoma – Recipe, 1
Makes: 26 small rolls or 2 loaves – OR – Makes one large bread in a Russel Hobbs bread machine and a smaller sized loaf in a Sunbeam Bread machine.
If Using a bread Machine: Add liquid ingredients first – followed by the dry, flour mixture. Make a well in the center and empty in your yeast.
I glazed my loaves using the glaze recipe below in Recipe Number 2.
NOTE:
If your raisins or sultanas are on the dry side do not skip this very important stage: Soak them in hot water until plumped up or microwave on 100 % power in a little water to cover 30-seconds.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
¼ cup melted, unsalted butter or margarine
½ cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons grated lemon rind (optional) – I used the zest of about 3 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
20 g (30 ml) instant yeast – or – 1 Oz fresh yeast
250 ml tepid water (100 deg F)
812 g (6.5 cups / 1,624 ml) strong bread flour
250g raisins (500 ml)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Method:
Boil the milk and stir in the butter, sugar, peel, salt, and soda. Set aside to cool until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water, which must be no more than body temperature or you will kill the yeast!
Add enough of the flour to make a thick, pourable , paste, cover, and leave it in a warm place to rise, until doubled in bulk, about 10 minutes. Sift the remaining flour into a large basin and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk mixture. Gradually incorporate the flour from the sides of the well into the liquid and knead the dough thoroughly, until it is smooth and elastic about 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and brush the surface with a little butter. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 ½ – 2 hours depending on temperature and humidity. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. With a rolling pin, flatten each half on a floured wooden board, into ½ inch thick rounds. Sprinkle with the raisins and roll the rounds up tightly. Place into two greased bread pans or divide into 26 equal portions. Form each portion into a broad cigar shape, rolling the dough backward and forwards under your fingers. Place the rolls well apart on greased or lined baking sheets. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rise until they are doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Brush the rolls with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds (Optional). Bake in a 400 deg F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool before serving or storing. Wrapped and sealed tightly in plastic bags, the rolls can keep well for several months in the freezer.
Alternate: Use the same dough to make jam-filled croissants.
Raisin Loaf 2
From the book, "My Way with Food," by Pamela Shippel.
Makes 3 medium loaves. A moist raisin loaf. Serve buttered, once cooled and the caramelized glaze has set on top.
Note:
Instant, fast-acting yeast – I like the NCP brand sold in South Africa, which comes in a red package – Use a good brand.
Instant, fast-acting yeast – I like the NCP brand sold in South Africa, which comes in a red package – Use a good brand.
Best working temperature for yeast is between 21C – 29 C. Do not be tempted to ferment yeast at a higher temperature.
Ingredients:
500 g raisins
30 g (3 sachets) Instant yeast
(210 g) 250 ml castor sugar
1 kg (8 cups) [2000 ml] Bread flour
10 ml of salt
180g soft butter
4 large eggs
400 ml buttermilk – OR – 25 ml white vinegar or lemon juice plus 375 ml milk
Method:
To make buttermilk measure vinegar or lemon juice into a jug. Top up with milk. Stir and set aside to allow thickening for few a minutes.
To make buttermilk measure vinegar or lemon juice into a jug. Top up with milk. Stir and set aside to allow thickening for few a minutes.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add yeast.
Add enough buttermilk to form a soft dough. Mix well, adding a little extra sifted flour if the dough is too wet or a little extra liquid if the dough is too dry. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth & elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place - no more than 35 deg C, or you will kill the yeast - to rise until doubled in size. Soak raisins in hot water until plump or microwave on 100 % power in a little water to cover for 30 seconds. Drain very well. Lightly knead the raisins into the risen dough. Divide the dough into 3. Shape into loaves & place into greased, medium-sized, loaf pans. Leave covered in a warm place, or in greased blown up plastic bags to rise until doubled in size. This takes quite a while due to the butter and sugar content in the dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes. Whilst loaves are baking, prepare sugar syrup glaze…
Sugar Syrup Glaze:
250 ml caramel, brown sugar
125 ml of water
5 ml glycerin
Method:
Dissolve the sugar over very low heat in stainless steel or an unchipped enamel pot. Do not bring to boil until all sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, add the glycerin to prevent sugar from crystallizing. Bring to boil, stirring very quickly, reduce to a thick caramel syrup. You will see this if you take it off the heat for a while, and by allowing it to cool a bit, it will become thicker. Do not allow it to become like toffee or burn. If using a sugar thermometer, you must remove from heat once it reaches “transparent icing” stage. Brush surface of each loaf immediately, once removed from the oven. Leave the sugar syrup glaze to set, and then turn out of tins. Allow to cool down before slicing and serving.
Dissolve the sugar over very low heat in stainless steel or an unchipped enamel pot. Do not bring to boil until all sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, add the glycerin to prevent sugar from crystallizing. Bring to boil, stirring very quickly, reduce to a thick caramel syrup. You will see this if you take it off the heat for a while, and by allowing it to cool a bit, it will become thicker. Do not allow it to become like toffee or burn. If using a sugar thermometer, you must remove from heat once it reaches “transparent icing” stage. Brush surface of each loaf immediately, once removed from the oven. Leave the sugar syrup glaze to set, and then turn out of tins. Allow to cool down before slicing and serving.
Further Reading:
Wheat flour already contains 2.5% sugar so that any mixture of flour and water will readily ferment without any addition of any extra sugar. What is important is the concentration of sugar which the yeast is expected to ferment. The optimum is approximately 12.5% and concentrations above this having a retarding effect. This must be remembered when doughs are made which are very rich in sugar. The yeast content must be increased considerably to compensate for this effect.
Enjoy!