There are few things better than the perfect nose of a good rye whiskey. A solid tie might be the smell of fresh-baked bread. This delightful recipe combines these two perfect scents into a single stroke of edible genius.
YIELD: Makes 2 (6-inch) loaves
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 3/4 cup WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
Sift together 4 cups flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and stir in sugar, caraway, and raisins. Add buttermilk and whiskey and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.
Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft but slightly less sticky dough. Halve dough and form into 2 balls. Pat out each ball into a domed 6-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife, then brush loaves with butter.
Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to racks to cool completely.
(Recipe adaptation and photograph courtesy of epicurious.com)
