Irish Freckle Bread 


 1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
8 T. sugar, divided
1 c. warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted 
2 eggs
1/4 c. warm mashed potatoes (w/out added milk or butter)
1/2 tsp. salt
3-1/4-4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. raisins       

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 T sugar in warm water. Add the butter, eggs, potatoes, salt, remaining sugar and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.     
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into eight portions. Shape each into a ball. Place dough balls in a greased 10-in. spring-form pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. about 30 minutes. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown Remove sides of pan. Place on a wire rack to cool.   Yield: 1 loaf    

This bread was just so tender and delicious!  I did a single recipe, but made smaller balls and crammed them all into a 9x13. Being close together is no problem, and just makes them more tender since there isn't as much crust.  Also, I did the dough in the bread machine, which saved time.  Ended up having to add a lot more flour, but it still worked fine.