Spanish Sweet Bread
Bread Machine Variant
Makes 1 loaf. This method is way easier than the original, which you can find right after this one.
- 0.75 cup whole milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 0.5 teaspoon lemon extract
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 600 grams bread flour / 3.5 cups
- 0.5 cups sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter
- 1 package of yeast
- 0.75 cups golden raisins
Put all the ingredients, up to and including the butter, into the bread maker, in the order they are listed. Make a small hole in the flour, taking care not to go so deep as to get to the liquid. Pour the yeast in the small hole, where it will stay dry. Set the bread maker to make regular, basic bread. Start the break maker. When the bread maker beeps to allow mixins, add the raisins. Once the bread is done baking, remove it from the pan and let it cool on a rack.
Original
Makes 2 loaves.
- 2 packages of yeast soaked in 1/2 water
- 0.5 cup canned milk
- 0.5 cup whole milk
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups sugar
- 6 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups raisins
Close all windows and doors, don’t want cold air. Scald 1/2 cup canned cream milk and 1/2 cup of whole regular milk (medium heat until crust on top, about a minute, don’t let it boil). Melt 2 cubes of butter on low heat. Sift 7 cups of flour (throw through strainer if no sifter) into a separate bowl. Take 2 packages active dry yeast and dissolve in 1/2 cup luke warm water for 5 minutes w/a pinch of sugar. In a bowl, beat 4 eggs. Throw in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup to 1/2 cups sugar and mix. Add butter and stir quickly so the egg is not cooked… let butter cool first if necessary and mix. Add milk after its cool and mix. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon lemon extract and mix. Add yeast and mix. Add half the flout and mix. Add fists of flour. Let bread rest on floured board covered with cloth and wait 3 minutes. Put flour everywhere, flour hands. Kneed dough…turn and take outside and folding into middle for 8 minutes. Add cup of raisons and kneed until it’s even. Should have lost it’s stickiness, but throw flower as needed. Grease a bowl with butter or Crisco. Put the bread then flip it so it has grease all over. Wet a towel with warm water then ring it out. Cover the bowl and put in barely warmed oven (turn on for a minute, then turn it off before). Close the oven and let the thing rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Take dough out of oven. Punch the dough down. Split into 2 round baking pans that are well greased. Shape it into pans. Cover pans with damp towels over wax paper and put back into warm place. Let rise for about 1 hour. Take off towels and wax paper. Turn oven to 350 and bake for 45-55 minutes or so (check it so the outside is not burnt).
My great-grandmother was warm, fun, and loving. One of her favorite ways to show us she cared was to cook us food… and to sneak us a cookie when mom wasn’t looking. My great-grandma (who we called Abuelita), grandma, mother, brother, and I have all made this bread and it’s really good.
Especially with a little warm butter spread on top. The recipe has been passed down through my family for generations and with each generation it’s become infused with a little more love. :)
Updated on July 14, 2022
- Moved the story after the recipe. I don’t like recipes blocked by a long story either.
- Changed title from ‘Best…’ to the actual recipe name, SEO be damned.
- Added the #recipe tag.
- Added my bread machine variant.