Lardy Loaf

I had never heard of this type of Bread before, but the description and ingredients sounded interesting. The recipe is from the Complete Book of Breads, and was discovered by the author while on vacation in Germany. He describes it as a sweet cake that reminded him of doughnuts.

Ingredients: 1 Package Dry Yeast

1/2 Cup Warm Tap Water

1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Raisins

3/4 Cup Lard (room temperature)

3/4 Cup Sugar

In a large bowl, combine the Yeast

And Water, stir with a fork and let sit ten minutes

Stir in 1 cup Flour

Then the Salt until a sticky Dough forms

Add the remaining Flour 1 tsp. at a time, kneading until smooth and elastic

Carefully work the raisins into the Dough and let rest five minutes

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In a separate bowl, cream together the Lard

And Sugar until smooth

Add half of the Sugar mixture to the Dough and work in with a wooden spoon

Add small amounts of Flour to help with the stickiness

Roll the Dough into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise one hour in a warm area

Punch down the Dough, roll into a ball, then cut into two equal rounds

Cover and let rest five minutes

Flatten the Dough into 1/8 inch thick rounds

Divide the remaining Sugar/Lard mixture evenly into the middle of each Dough

Carefully roll the sides up over the middle and pinch closed

Lay seam side down onto a baking pan

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another forty five minutes, or until doubled in size

Place the pan into a preheated oven at 325F and bake until the Loaves are a deep, rich brown (about 1 hour depending on your oven)

Remove the Loaves from the oven and let cool to touch

Slice and serve warm

I was skeptical at first about what the lard and raisins would taste like once baked together, but what a fantastic combination of flavors. The outer crust is crispy with a flaky crumb, while the center is soft with a sugary, melty filling that reminds me of a cinnamon roll glaze. It doesn't really taste like any doughnut I've ever had, but it reminded me of a thick funnel cake with raisins in it. After trying a slice, I can see why so many people call this an addicting and fattening cake that should only be enjoyed on special occasions.