1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups dark raisins

2 cups water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 egg white

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a nonstick 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Reserve.

2. Sprinkle the wheat bran onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan evenly and bake for about 7 minutes or until it begins to lightly brown and smells fragrant. Stir a couple of times to evenly brown it. Cool and reserve.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Reserve.

4. Meanwhile combine 1 cup raisins and 1/2 cup of water in a glass measuring cup and microwave for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.

5. Place softened raisins in a food processor and puree. To the raisin mixture add the remaining 1 1/2 cups water, buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg and egg white and process until just blended.

6. Add reserved toasted wheat bran and flour mixture to the food processor and process until well blended. Add the 1/2 cup raisins and pulse just to combine, making sure not to break up the raisins.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)

©2021 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.