Molasses Raisin Bread

This is a common recipe here in Newfoundland. There's nothing like homemade raisin bread. I got this recipe from Newfoundland site. It did not call for cinnamon, but raisin bread is not the same without the cinnamon.The recipe says it makes 3 loaves but I think it could make 4.Making 3 tends to yield large loaves.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 3 loaves

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons active dry yeast (or 2 packages)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 4  cups  lukewarm water
• 3⁄4 cup molasses
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4 cup margarine, melted
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 12  cups flour
• 2 1⁄2 cups raisins

Directions

1. Grease 3 loaf pans with margarine.
2. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm water in a large bowl and add 2 tsp sugar.Let sit for about 5 minutes.
3. To the yeast mixture,add remaining water(3 cups), 3/4 cup molasses, 1/4 cup melted margarine,vanilla,cinnamon,1 tbsp salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar(minus the 2 tsp).Mix until smooth.
4. Add the 12 cups of flour mixing after each addition. Add the 2 1/2 cups of raisins. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface. (I just do the kneading in the bowl itself).
5. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 12-15 minutes).
6. Keeping the dough warm, grease a large mixing bowl with margarine. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap or a dish towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about an hour) (After an hour, if you touch the dough, the indentation should remain. At that point you know it has risen enough).
7. Punch down the dough and divide it into three even parts. Take each part and divide it into thirds. Shape each of the nine pieces of dough into a ball, folding the edges in under. Place three of the balls in each of the 3 pans. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Heat oven to 375° F.Place the pans on the lower rack. Bake until loaves are golden brown, about 60 minutes (it only took mine 30 minutes in a convection oven). Remove bread from pans and brush the tops with margarine. Place on wire racks to cool.
9. Cooking time does not include rising time.