Cinnamon Cranberry Bread

Once again - HERE - is the site I found this interesting looking bread.

The recipe goes as such:

1 cup warm milk

4 tsp yeast (approx)

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c melted butter

1 egg

Mix all of this together and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile -in another bowl combine:

3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

some ground nutmeg (1/2 tsp)

1 tsp salt

Oh - I guess I forgot to tell you 1/2 c to 3/4 cranberries (Personally I thought 1/2 a cup worked fine) - or any other dried fruit you would prefer.

Once the yeast has sat for 10 minutes or so - add both bowls together and knead till ball is smooth, and tacky but not sticky (you will have to add more flour, do it progressively). If you are lucky enough to have a kitchen aid mixer - mix everything in there, however it is you use that fancy technology - perhaps I will learn that technology someday.

Let the bread rise overnight - or for 6 hours or so. Once that period of time is over, knead it a few times on a floured surface and place into a dutch over lined in parchment paper - for an hour or until it approximately doubles in size. Then bake (covered) in a preheated 450 oven for 25 minutes and then an additional 10 minutes with the lid removed (this will give the bread a nice crusty brown color - but keep an eye on it).

The Results: The bread is Amazing (Soft, chewy and a nice sweetness in the background). I am currently eating a slice and I am reminded of eating a really good piece of raisin bread (My Dad would love it), but better (but that could because it's still warm). There were a few negatives though - the dough didn't rise as much as I would have liked, but it did fill out a bit in the oven. And the bottom of the bread is verging on being burnt (OK, it is burnt). I attribute this to my inconsistent oven, which doesn't like to keep a consistent heat (no fault of my own of course!), next time I may bump it up a rack or perhaps try a lower temp.

You don't need a dutch over to make this bread - but you will need an oven proof pot of some sort.