Ingredients
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110F)
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
5 tablespoons honey, divided
1 cup Guinness, at room temperature
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole-grain rye flour
2 teaspoons salt
Directions
Combine raisins and 1 cup boiling water in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Drain and reserve raisins.
Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon honey in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes or until bubbly. Add remaining 1/4 cup honey and beer; mix well.
Combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, rye flour, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 7 minutes); add enough of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Flatten dough; top with raisins. Fold over dough sides to cover; knead until raisins are well distributed. Place dough in a large bowl coated with a little bit of vegetable oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch dough down; turn out onto a floured surface. Knead 1 minute; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each half into an 8-inch-long football shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450F.
Uncover dough, and make 3 (1/4-inch-deep) diagonal cuts across top of each loaf using a sharp knife. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F (do not remove loaves from oven); bake the loaves for 30 minutes or until browned on bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before slicing.
