The Prepared Pantry

California Raisin Gourmet Bread Mix

A fabulous loaf with extra raisins, cinnamon, and a touch of orange.

SKU: M37-1

Can I use this mix in my 1 pound capacity or 1.5 pound capacity bread machine?

We have designed our mixes specifically for 2 lb. capacity machines. However, you may still find success with 1.5 lb. capacity machines. You may expect to see the top of the loaf touch the lid of the machine towards the end of the baking cycle. This may lead to imperfect baking in that one spot on the loaf. The rest of the loaf should be fine. For 1 lb. bread machines, we recommend only running the bread on the dough cycle and then transfer the dough to a pan for baking in a conventional oven. See packaging for more info.

Why do the directions ask me to use a thermometer?

Yeast is very sensitive to heat and other environmental factors. We have tested and designed our mixes to find the sweet spot for yeast activity to get the best rise. Even just a few degrees off on water temperature can make a big impact on the quality of your bread. Measuring the temperature of your water accurately is the best way to ensure consistently successful bread baking.

I followed the directions exactly and I see had a problem with my bread? What can I do?

Sometimes bread issues happen. We are happy to help. Send us a picture of your bread and a picture of the back packaging of your bread mix to our customer support email at customerservice@preparedpantry.com. Include as much detail as possible about your baking process and bread machine model so we can troubleshoot the cause of the issue.

Should I adjust my mix for high altitudes?

We don't recommend making any changes to the mix for high altitudes. We have tested our mixes in a variety of locations and have fine tuned each mix to be the best product possible.

I don't have a bread machine or a stand-type mixer. Can I still make this bread in my oven?

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I love raisin bread, and this is not your everyday raisin bread. It has more raisins, more cinnamon, and a touch of orange, which is a dynamite addition.  It's like a touch of sunshine.  You'll never go back to ordinary raisin bread.

The base recipe is right on—a plump, light, and airy bread. This is my all-time favorite raisin bread.

We make it the way it is. Sometimes, we make cinnamon rolls, and sometimes, we fill the bread with the cinnamon, raisin, and sugar mixture like a cinnamon roll and bake it as a loaf.

This bread is fabulous.

Customer Questions

Is this another homemade bread like Country Farm White? Yes, it's very close. That's the base mix. We added raisins, cinnamon, sugar, and the orange. 

So is it as soft and light as Country Farm White? Yes.

What does it taste like? Well, you get raisins in every bite. It's naturally sweeter. The orange is a background flavor--kind of a fruity orchard flavor. The combination is delightful.

What do I have to add to the mix? Water and butter. The yeast is in a packet in the mix. Be sure to cut the packet open and add the yeast to the other ingredients.

In the reviews, I see bread at 190 degrees. What is that all about?  They baked their bread in the oven rather than a bread machine and tested it with a thermometer to see if it was done.

190 degrees is the minimum temperature that bread needs to reach to be baked. Less than that and it's doughy. But bread doesn't always bake uniformly. If their thermometer was accurate, part of a loaf reached 190 degrees but not the entire loaf.  

When testing for doneness with a thermometer, test in multiple places and press the probe all the way to the center.

Dennis Weaver

Baker's Notes

We use bakers' grade fresh raisins matched with select cinnamon we can find, and complemented with the flavor of California oranges. The raisins plump up in baking.  The cinnamon is much better than that found in grocery stores--a quality Korintje cassia cinnamon imported from Indonesia that really makes a difference.

This is a very aromatic raisin bread and will smell wonderful baking in your kitchen.

"I love this bread!!!! Generous in raisin content and not overpowering with cinnamon. Plain is delicious and toasted with butter is yummy!!! I did add 1 extra tablespoon of water as my bread machine suggested to make the crust softer which worked very well. Great mix!!!!" -Jannynet

Don't miss this sunny California bread!  

Cinnamon Rolls

Making Cinnamon Rolls or a Cinnamon Loaf

How would I make cinnamon rolls or a rolled cinnamon loaf? Roll it into a rectangular sheet 1/4-inch thick. Spread a heavy coating of butter over the dough and then sprinkle the filling over the butter. 

Starting with the long edge, roll the dough tightly. Pinch the edges to the dough to seal the filling.

If you're making cinnamon rolls, cut the log into 12 slices, position them in a well-greased 8 1//2 by 11-inch pan in a three-by-four roll pattern, and bake.

If you are making a loaf, roll it starting from the short side and form it into a loaf in a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

bread pudding

Making Bread Pudding with Your Bread

This is a delightful bread pudding. We made it in little ceramic bowls, but you could also use ramekins or a six-cup baking dish. In a baking dish, you may need to increase the baking time—just test it with a knife for doneness.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or rum flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 slices of California Raisin Bread cut into 1-inch cubes


Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, maple syrup, flavoring, and salt.  Whisk together well.
  2. Stir in the bread cubes.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Turn into six buttered one-cup ramekins or bowls.  Set the bowls in a large baking pan of water.  Pour hot water into baking pan to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until a knife comes out clean.
  4. Let cool in the bowls.  Once cool, use a soft silicone spatula to loosen the pudding from the ramekins.  Turn the puddings onto individual plates for serving and drizzle with the sauce.

Baker’s notes: Cooking times may vary substantially depending on the pan, the water added, and the water temperature.  The pudding will be done when the eggs are set.  The knife test is simple and reliable.

We used a soft, thin spatula to loosen the puddings from the ramekins, turned each pudding into the palm of our hands, and then reinverted them onto serving plates.  It was easy and simple.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Melt the butter in a pan.  Stir in the cornstarch.  While stirring and over medium heat, drizzle in the cream.  Add the granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.

raisin bread pudding

California Raisin Bread Pudding made in a larger bowl and then added to serving-sized bowls.  

 

—Featured Review—

Tastes like home. I grew up in California and my grandma made raisin bread from time to time (she made white bread and rolls more often). This tastes like her raisin bread. It tastes like home. It is wonderful eaten straight from the loaf, and even better slathered with butter. It makes a great breakfast bread for a break from the normal routine. My autistic son doesn't try a lot of foods and what he likes is very, very limited. Even he loves this bread!
As a testament to the quality of the product, I made this bread yesterday morning from a bag with a "best-by" date one year ago. Oops. . . . still came out perfect. This is a quality product with great packaging that keeps everything fresh well beyond the ideal use date. Angela
 

Customer Reviews

Based on 99 reviews
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A
Angela
Tastes like home

I grew up in California and my grandma made raisin bread from time to time (she made white bread and rolls more often). This tastes like her raisin bread. It tastes like home. It is wonderful eaten straight from the loaf, and even better slathered with butter. It makes a great breakfast bread for a break from the normal routine. My autistic son doesn't try a lot of foods and what he likes is very, very limited. Even he loves this bread!

As a testament to the quality of the product, I made this bread yesterday morning from a bag with a best by date one year ago. Oops. I melted the butter but didn't bother warming up the water and just let my bread machine bring everything up to what it thinks is the ideal starting temperature (it is a Zojirushi machine with a built-in 30 minute rest and warm cycle before it begins kneading). The bread still came out perfect. This is a quality product with great packaging that keeps everything fresh well beyond the ideal use date.

G
Gary Horst

California Raisin Gourmet Bread Mix

T
T P Urbanis
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

In my humble opinion it is their best bread mix. I use an Oster bread maker. I use one tablespoon of SCRATCH Premium Dough Conditioner as I live at about 4,800' altitude. I don't measure temperature, just use the hot water from sink faucet at its hottest. I stopped using a bread slicing setup, just do it by hand nowadays.

y
ya Kush

California Raisin Gourmet Bread Mix

T
Terry Gainer
Not very good

I'm hoping this was a fluke. I made this bread following their directions to the letter. After baking for 30 minutes and testing with an instant read thermometer, in the center of the loaf, that read 190 degrees and came out clean, when we cut into the cooled loaf 2/3 of the center was uncooked dough. We had to throw almost all of it out. We will not be ordering this mix again.