Christmas Fruit Bread
 
This festive bread is full of spice, treacle and fruit. It’s delicious toasted, topped with a crumbly Lancashire type cheese or just lashings of butter and a spot of marmalade.
 
Ingredients
Makes 1 loaf
 
200g Strong bread flour 200g Wholemeal
100g Dark Rye flour 10g Salt
10g Dried yeast
1 tbsp Black treacle 325ml Warm water 50g Butter
1 orange zest
150g Dried mixed fruit 50g Dried cranberries 1 tsp Mixed spice
 
Here’s how:
Blend together the three flours along with the salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Mix the treacle and water together, then make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the liquid.
Add the orange zest, butter, spice and mixed fruit.
Mix the dough together until you form a soft ball of dough, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until soft, smooth and stretchy. Return the mixture to the bowl, cover, and leave to prove for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Scoop the dough back out onto the work top and knick all the air out as this will help you achieve a nice even bake.
Roll the mixture up into a ball, then roll it to form a loaf shape.
Place it in to 2lb loaf tin and leave to prove for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Bake the bread in a pre heated oven 180c for 30-35 minutes or until golden and baked through.
Try a glass of warm mulled wine or a nice spiced rum with this recipe.
 
Recipe by Peter Sidwell