Lammas Raisin Bread

Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 5 cups water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2/3 cup wheat germ
• 2 (2 tablespoon) packages dry yeast
• 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups white flour

Recipe

• 1 cook the oats in 4 cups boiling water until they are just soft about 5-10 minute
• 2 stir in honey, salt, and wheat germ.
• 3 allow to cool to lukewarm.
• 4 dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water and stir into oats with 3 cups of the wheat flour.
• 5 beat this sponge with wooden spoon for a few minutes.
• 6 cover bowl with tea towel.
• 7 let rise in warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until doubled volume.
• 8 stir down sponge.
• 9 stir in raisins & remaining 3 cups wheat flour.
• 10 sprinkle 1 cup white flour over a flat surface and turn the dough out it.
• 11 sprinkle the second cup of white flour on top of the dough and carefully begin kneading.
• 12 knead for about 10 min or until smooth and elastic.
• 13 form into ball.
• 14 put in large, buttered bowl.
• 15 turn so it is evenly buttered.
• 16 cover with tea towel and put the dough away to rise for another hour or until doubled in volume.
• 17 punch down.
• 18 cut into 4 even parts.
• 19 form each into a loaf and place in 4 buttered medium-size pans.
• 20 cover with tea towels.
• 21 let rise for about ½ hour.
• 22 bake in preheated oven at 400f for 15 min, then turn heat down to 350f and bake for another 30-40 minute.