Advertisement He came back to America with the desire to bake French bread here. And he was a failure. It turns out it takes years of apprenticeship, not to mention just the right kind of flour and the right kind of ovens to make the classic “crunchy on the outside/melt in your mouth on the inside” Parisian bread. His efforts at making French bread often looked like collapsed tents.
But he got the “bug” for baking bread and soon learned that classic American bread, made in loaf-pans, was not only easier but more nutritious — and it made much better sandwiches (and lasted longer, too!) He soon learned to make pretty good whole-wheat bread, and he branched out to other kinds, such as oatmeal and cornmeal/molasses bread. But his favorite bread, which he has been baking for almost 34 years, is cinnamon-raisin bread. This bread makes the best cream cheese sandwiches in the world. Made into rolls, it is a very popular treat at any time of the day. He recently tracked me down in the kitchen of Franciscan Skemp to give me a frosted cinnamon-raisin roll. It was so good I asked him for the recipe and the story behind it.
Frosted Cinnamon-Raisin Roll
7 cups very warm water
3 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
2 cups dry milk
21/2 cups raisins
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup canola oil
12 to 14 cups white flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in honey. Add dry milk, raisins, salt, whole-wheat flour and oil. Then gradually add white flour until dough comes away from edges of bowl. Dough should remain a little sticky, even through the kneading process. Knead for 10 minutes. Place in oiled bowl. Let rise for 40 to 50 minutes. Punch down. Let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes. Punch down.
For loaves: Form into six equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a rectangle, the thickness of which should be that of the (horizontal) raisins in the dough. Lightly spray with Pam cooking spray, then spread a thin layer of cinnamon-brown sugar mixture (proportions: 2 heaping cups brown sugar with 2 rounded tablespoons cinnamon).
Roll up the dough from the narrow end of the rectangle, creating the classic swirl. With floured hands, pinch the bottom and side seams together and form into loaves. Place in pans, seam-side down. Final rise is no more than 20 minutes after last loaf is done. (This seemingly short rise is important for good oven loft!) Cut slits on top of loaves. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes.
For rolls: Everything is the same, except the dough can be divided into four portions, which are then rolled out just like for loaves. But instead of ending up with a loaf shaped dough, you want to create a (small) Python snake shape. This will require additional rolling and shaping with your hands, after rolling up the rectangle covered with the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture. Then cut each snake into 8 to 11 rolls. Place on parchment-paper covered cookie sheets. Again, final rise should be only 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
And add your favorite icing (which everybody knows how to make!) when cool.
Makes 6 large (about 2-pound) loaves or 36 to 44 rolls (depending on size).
John Haverty, a certified executive chef at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. He can be reached at chefhaverty@yahoo.com.
