Linda Kosidlo <linda@mc.com> wrote
>This weekend I tried a whole wheat bread recipe in my
>bread machine that called for adding raisins and
>walnuts during the "mix-in" phase (about 15 minutes
>after the first mixing/kneading phase). I did
>this as instructed, but the result was poor. The
>raisins all sunk to the bottom of the loaf, completly
>covering the bottom of the bread. How are these things
>supposed to be added to the machine so they don't all
>sink to the bottom?
I add my raisins during the last 5 minutes of the final kneading cycle.
(i.e., just before it starts the first rise). My machine beeps at that
point to let you know when it's time to add the mix-in ingredients. If I
add raisins any earlier, they get turned into raisin bits.
Were your raisins dry? I dust them with a bit of flour to absorb any excess
moisture, since I usually plump them in warm water or orange juice before
adding them. The flour gives the raisins a surface that the dough can grab
onto as it is kneaded and allows the raisins to be folded into the interior
of the loaf. I found that when the raisins are wet, they won't mix in
well--most of them just slide around the sides of the pan as it keads and
end up stuck around the bottom and sides of the crust with very few in the
middle. And they don't taste very good that way, almost burned.