| 1 | Makes 2 loaves. |
| 2 | In a good-sized saucepan bring the milk and 1 cup water to a boil. |
| 3 | Turn off the heat and sprinkle in the corn meal, stirring energetically with a wire whisk or fork. |
| 4 | Add the butter and molasses and stir until evenly mixed. |
| 5 | Cool to lukewarm. |
| 6 | In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the half-cup warm water with the sugar or honey. |
| 7 | When bubbly, add cornmeal mixture, salt, and 2 ?cups of the flour. |
| 8 | It should be thick but still beatable. |
| 9 | Beat 5 minutes with an electric mixer. |
| 10 | Stir in the raisins. |
| 11 | Gradually add 2/12 to 3 cups more flour, beating with a large spoon until the battter is too stiff to continue beating and holds together in a mass in the center of the bowl. |
| 12 | Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it sit until the dough has risen to twice its original volume. |
| 13 | Stir down with the spoon. |
| 14 | If you wish, let it rise a second time. |
| 15 | Stir down. |
| 16 | Divide the dough between two buttered large loaf pans. |
| 17 | Be sure you get equal amounts in each pan. |
| 18 | Squish it into the corners with your fingers. |
| 19 | Press to smooth the tops a bit; don"t worry if they look like a lava flow. |
| 20 | Cover the pans with a towel and let rise until batter reaches the tops of the pans. |
| 21 | Preheat oven to 350°F. |
| 22 | Bake 40 - 45 minutes, until the loaves are brown but don"t quite have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottoms. |
| 23 | Remove them from the pans and put directly on the oven rack. |
| 24 | Bake another 5 minutes to crisp the crust. |
| 25 | Cool on a rack. |
| 26 | The garden way bread book from the collection of jim vorhei |
