| Irish Freckle Bread
Makes 2 loaves
1 lg (1/2 #) potato
1 1/2 c water
5 c unsifted all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c butter, melted and cooled
1 c dark seedless raisins or currants
Peel and quarter potato. Cook in water. Reserve water (1 c) and mash potato. Cool liquid to 120-130 degrees. In lg bowl, combine 1 1/2 c flour, mashed potato, yeast, sugar, and salt. Beat in cooled cooking liquid until smooth. Cover bowl loosely with clean cloth and let rise in warm place until puffy - about 1-1/2 hours. Stir down batter, then add the eggs, melted butter, and raisins. Gradually beat in more flour, 1/2 c at a time, until a
soft dough forms. Knead dough until smooth, about 10 minutes. Grease two 8 1/2 X 4 1/4" loaf pans. Divide dough in half and form into balls; let rest 5 minutes. Pat balls into ovals and place in greased loaf pans. Cover pans loosely with clean cloth and let rise 45 minutes or until dough reaches tops of pans. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on top. Remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack.
Recipe featured in Bread Daily on 11/03/01.