Election Day Loaf
Submitted by lel7755
Election Day Loaf is a traditional spiced yeast bread loaded with raisins, walnuts, and candied citron, baked in a tube pan and glazed with orange icing. A historic New England celebration bread.
YIELD
1 loafPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsElection Day Loaf dates back to colonial New England, when towns baked sweet, spiced yeast breads to celebrate the arrival of voting day. Think of it as America’s original holiday bread.
This is a rich, fruit-studded loaf baked in a tube pan. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg perfume a buttery yeast batter loaded with raisins, chopped walnuts, and candied citron. An orange juice and powdered sugar icing goes on while the bread is still warm, soaking into the crust.
The batter method is different from typical bread. Instead of kneading, you beat the yeast mixture vigorously (150 strokes!) to develop gluten, then fold in the creamed butter and eggs. The result is a texture somewhere between cake and bread: soft, tender, and rich.
Dredging the fruit and nuts in flour before stirring them in prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
Chef Tips
- All ingredients should be at room temperature. Cold butter or eggs will shock the yeast and slow the rise.
- Cover with foil halfway through baking if the top browns too fast. The spiced batter darkens quickly.
- Let it cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out. Turn it out too soon and it collapses; too late and it sticks.
Variations
- Cranberry-pecan: Replace the raisins and citron with dried cranberries and pecans for a modern New England twist.
- Rum glaze: Swap the orange juice in the icing for dark rum for a boozier, deeper finish.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.
Add 2 teaspoon sugar and 1½ cups flour. beat well, about 150 strokes.
Cover the bowl tightly and set in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift the remaining flour with the salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg on a piece of wax paper.
In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
When the yeast batter has only 5 more minutes to rise, add the eggs to the creamed butter.
Beat well.
Stir down the yeast batter. Spoon in the butter mixture and blend well.
Add the sifted dry ingredients a spoonful at a time, beating after each one until the mixture is smooth.
Dredge the raisins, nuts and citron in the tbsp of flour and stir into the batter.
Pour the batter into a greased 10 inch tube pan.
Make it level by using a spoon dipped in cold water.
Cover the pan with wax paper and place in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1½ hours, or until a wooden tooth-pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Check halfway through baking time, if the top gets too brown, cover loosely with foil or brown paper.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before turning the bread onto a wire rack to cool.
Spread on the icing while the bread is still warm.
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