Recipe - Holiday Ribbon Bread

1 pack Active dry Yeast
One fourth cup Water, heated to 115 degrees
3 One half cup Flour (up to 4)
One fourth cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Salt
One half cup Milk at room temp
2 tablespoon Butter at room temp
2 Eggs at room temp
1 tablespoon Butter, melted
One half cup Raisins
1 Brown paper strip, 15 x
1One half inches
1 Brown paper strip, 20 x
1One half inches
Paper clips

This is a dazzler. It's a loaf of bread that looks like a gift. You shape
it before baking and it comes out... well read on. Ingredients: Makes one
really neat loaf of bread

Method: Grease cookie sheet. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl,
then add 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, milk, 2 tablespoons butter, eggs, mixing
well. Stir or mix in additional 2 cups flour and raisins until dough pulls
cleanly away from sides of bowl. On floured surface, knead in One half to 1 cup
flour until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl;
cover and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down dough. On lightly
floured surface, shape into 8 x 5inch rectangle. Put paper strips on
greased cookie sheet in a cross or "X," brush with melted butter. Put dough
over paper strips and wrap strips loosely around dough (you should be able
to fit your fingers under strips); trim excess paper and clip. Cover; let
rise in warm place until doubled in size. Heat oven to 350. Bake for 35 to
45minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. You might want to wrap
the bread in some of that colored plastic wrap that makes our holidays so
festive, then tie it with ribbons in the interesting grooves we've shaped
into the bread. As Carla says, "cool."

Posted to FOODWINE Digest 26 Feb 97 by Bob Pastorio pastorio@RICA.NET on
Feb 27, 1997.