Ingredients

• Ingredients
  1. 2 cups lukewarm water
  2. 2/3 cup molasses
  3. 2 packages active dry yeast
  4. 5 to 6 cups bread flour
  5. 1/2 cup cornmeal
  6. 1/2 cup semolina
  7. 1 tablespoon salt
  8. 1 cup golden raisins
  9. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the water and molasses. Add the yeast and let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, sift 5 cups of the bread flour with the cornmeal, semolina and salt. Add the raisins and butter, then add the yeast mixture and blend well. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, adding up to 1 more cup of the bread flour to make a moist but not sticky dough. Continue kneading for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.
3. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Form into 2 loose rectangular loaves and transfer to 2 buttered 8 1/2 -by-4 1/2 -inch loaf pans. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Make Ahead

The bread can tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.