St. Joseph's Day Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons anise
• 1/3 cup golden raisin
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Recipe

• 1 stir together in a large bowl 1 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, honey, hot water, salt, butter and anise seeds and mix into a smooth batter.
• 2 stir in the golden raisins and beat for another 10 minutes, gradually adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• 3 turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• 4 knead for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky (you may not need to use all the flour).
• 5 place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat.
• 6 cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• 7 grease a baking sheet and dust with cornmeal.
• 8 turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and punch down.
• 9 roll into a long tight loaf, and place seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
• 10 use a sharp serrated knife to make 3 or four diagonal slashes on the top.
• 11 cover and let rise in warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.
• 12 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 13 mist the loaf with water of vinegar before baking, and twice during.
• 14 bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.