Helen's Cranberry Bread
Why I Love This Recipe
Another recipe from the kitchen of my future mother-in-law that was requested by my fiancé. He's always so industrious when he wants me to bake him something of the bread or pie variety. This one is absolutely scrumptious!
Ingredients You'll Need
3 1⁄2 cups bread flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1⁄4 cups 1% milk
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup dried cranberries
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1⁄2 cups of the flour and yeast.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (115-120˚), stirring constantly until the butter almost melts.
Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture, and add the egg.
If you are using a stand mixer, beat on low speed for 1⁄2 minute, scraping bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. If mixing by hand, use a flat wooden spoon to mix well.
By hand, stir in the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Stir in cranberries.
Shape the dough into a ball. Place in lightly oiled or buttered bowl, turning once to grease the whole surface.
Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in warm place (I usually set it on top of my gas-oven) until it is doubled in size (approximately 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours).
Punch down the dough, then turn it out out on a floured surface. Cover with the towel and let rest 10 minutes before place the dough in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam. Let the dough rise until it crests 1 inch above the top of pan.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F degrees.
Bake 30-45 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding.