From Virginia Wiedemann:  "This bread is so good you might just eat it all up on the spot. If not, have some for lunch for great grilled ham sandwiches. Or, wonderful toasted for breakfast."

2 pkgs. dry active yeast
5-3/4 cups flour, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
cornmeal for sprinkling
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups milk
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Grease two bread pans very well, preferably not glass ones, then sprinkle them generously with corn meal.

Combine 3 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.  Heat the milk and water together until very warm (120° to 130°).  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and beat well.  Add the cinnamon and raisins and mix in well.  Stir in more flour, up to the other 2-3/4 cups, to make a stuff batter.  Some days you will need all of the extra flour, some days less.

Spread this stiff batter into the two prepared bread pans. Sprinkle the tops with corn meal.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (if using rapid rise yeast time will be shorter).  Bake at 400° F. for 25 minutes.  Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.

This bread freezes well after it is thoroughly cooled.