Pain Au Raisin

Difficulty:
1/5

Ease of preparation: Medium

Yield: 12 pastries

 

Ingredients:

1 cup (240 ml) raisins

1 cup (240 ml) boiling water

2 ¼ teaspoons (11 ml) yeast

¼ cup (60 ml) warm water

1/3 cup (80 ml) butter, divided

1 cup (240 ml) milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) sugar

4 cups (960 ml) bread flour

 

Almond cream

1/3 cup (80 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (240 ml) ground almonds

2 tablespoons (30 ml) flour

½ cup (120 ml) sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

 

Buttery icing glaze

½ cup (120 ml) butter, melted

1 cup (240 ml) icing sugar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk

 

Method:

Let’s get baking!

 

Add the raisins to a bowl. Pour the boiling water over top. Let the raisins sit to rehydrate.

 

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast and warm water and shake the bowl a little to agitate. Let sit 10 minutes until mixture is bubbly.

 

In a saucepan, melt 1/3 cup (80 ml) butter with the milk. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into bowl with yeast mixture and mix. Add eggs and whisk in. Add 1/3 cup (80 ml) sugar and mix in. Slowly add bread flour with the dough hook running. Stop adding flour when dough is tacky. Cover and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled.

 

To make the almond cream, add butter, ground almonds, flour, sugar, eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract a bowl. Mix until smooth.

 

To make the buttery icing glaze, add melted butter to a bowl. Add icing sugar and milk a bit at a time, stirring, until it reaches a drizzle consistency.

 

To finish, drain raisins.

 

Roll out dough into a large rectangle. Spread the almond cream on top. Sprinkle the raisins on top of the almond cream. Roll rectangle tightly along longest side to form a filled log. Cut into slices. Place on a baking tray. Let rise, uncovered, for 1 hour.

 

Melt remaining butter. Brush on pastries. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 12-15 minutes.

 

Remove pastries from the oven. Drizzle with icing glaze while they’re still warm.