A delicious hearty yeast bread full of holiday flavours. Cranberries, wild rice and rosemary are combined to create one flavour packed slice. This bread will remind you of a holiday feast and will be perfect for those beloved leftover turkey sandwiches.
Thoroughly cook the wild rice the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Pull out of the fridge an hour before you want to start baking, so it reaches room temperature.
The day you want to bake, start by gently mixing together a half cup of the warm water with the yeast and two teaspoons of sugar. Let this proof for about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon mix together the yeast mixture, remaining water, sugar, salt, shortening oil, molasses and four cups of flour. Mix until just combined. Stir in another three cups of flour, wild rice, cranberries and rosemary. You may need to add a bit more flour if the dough is sticky. You're looking for a tacky feel here.
Spread a cup of flour onto a flat surface making a large well. Turn the dough out into the well and knead for about 7-10 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. You may have to add another 1 to 1 1/2 cups of or more to reach this stage.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 27-32 minutes or until hollow sounding when knocked and golden brown. Butter the tops of the loaves and remove from the pans immediately. Cool completely before cutting.