BBA Challenge 2011: Week Nine - Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Well, it's week 9 of the BBA Challenge, so we're on to Cinnamon Raisin bread. Here's a pic of my final product, and the first page of my post on it. If you'd like to read the rest, or be able to check to see what the other BBAers did, just go here.
Lies, lies, lies.
Alright now hold on; I’m not saying this bread didn’t come out good – it did. Still, this is my second time making this particular recipe for cinnamon raisin bread, and I can’t seem to get it to come to look anything like the amazing picture that Reinhart uses in his Bread Baker’s Apprentice book. In fact, I’m starting to suspect that some of his pictures are not really good representatives of the recipes themselves (hence the “lies, lies, lies”).
Below the fold I’ll talk more about this bread, where and how I screwed it up the first time, how I fixed the problem, and why there just doesn’t seem to be any way you’ll get your bread to come out looking like that great picture he has in the book.
I haven't tried the Cinnamon Raisin Bread from BBA, but I made the whole wheat one from WGA, and that turned out very nice.
When I compared the two recipes I found these differences that maybe account for the lack of taste in the BBA one compared to the WGB version.
The amount of cinnamon in the whole wheat bread is higher (2 1/2 tsp. per 14 oz flour - in the BBA recipe it's 2 1/2 tsp. per 16 oz flour.
Another thing is the shortening. When I did some test baking for the NYbakers, I found breads made with shortening had a disappointing bland taste compared to those made with butter. The whole wheat recipe calls for 2 oz butter/14 oz flour, the BBA for 1 oz shortening/16 oz flour.
Karin
I always use butter in the BBA Cinnamon-Raisin-Walnut Bread. I also add the optional cinnamon sugar swirl, so it's plenty cinnamon-y.
Today, I made it with 25% whole wheat flour, and it's even better than the all-white version. And it's a health food!
Cpanza, your bake looks great!
Glenn
I use shortening only in combination with butter in pie dough, in breads I take butter, canola oil (or olive oil in some breads).
And I usually smuggle some whole wheat flour in my white doughs, for the heartier taste, the health benefits, and, also a longer shelf life (two people can eat only so and so much).
Karin