Poppy Seed Bread

Recipe:
Sponge:
1 1/2 cup milk (scalded and cooled)
2 packages yeast
1/2 cup water
4 cups flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons salt

Dough:
2/3 c melted shortening (Crisco)
1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups milk (scalded and cooled)
7-8 cups flour

Poppy seed Mixture:
1 c sugar
1/4 c butter,
1/4 c honey
2oz poppy seeds
3/4 cups raisins

Sponge: Scald milk (milk will be scalded over medium heat when you move a spoon over its surface and a film appears on the spoon). Can scald 3 cups and refrigerate half for later use in dough.

Mix yeast in 1/2 c room temp water, (yeast will not dissolve, but will look like running pudding when it's softened)

Add yeast to cooled milk, add flour and salt. Mixture will be sticky, scape bowl often.

Leave in bowl, cover with towel and put sponge in warm place (the dryer) to proof, (until bubbles appear on the surface) about 1 - 2 hours.

Dough: When the sponge has proofed, add dough ingredients to it with as much flour needed to make a sticky dough (7-8 cups). Knead until smooth. Grease (butter) bowl and turn dough once in it so all sides are slightly buttered, cover with towel and let rise 2-3 hours or double in size.

Poppy Seed Mixture: Melt butter, stir in sugar and honey until sugar is dissolved- may need to do on stove top.

When dough has proofed, divide dough into 8 parts, roll out and spread each eighth with poppy seed mixture. Sprinkle allotted amount of poppy seeds on each eighth and sprinkle with raisins (3/4 cup for total recipe). Roll up each loaf like jellyroll, put in buttered pans and let rise, covered, for 2-3 hours- until doubled.

Bake 350 for 15 min and then 325 for 1/2 hour. Watch bread.

Recipe from Chad's maternal Grandma, Ruth Mohr.

Changes:
Used 7 cups flour in dough. Cooked at 340 for 15 minutes then 315 for 22.5 minutes. Made 6 loaves instead of 8.

Review:
Rating 9. Even though it really takes all day to make this bread- the smell alone when it is cooking is worth it, not to mention how it tastes toasted with butter, mmmm. It's like a dream. 6 loaves will not last long!!

Next Time:
Make when Chad is home! Scald all 3 cups milk at beginning- cool 1/2 in freezer 20 minutes before starting anything else, put other 1/2 in fridge until needed.