Christmas Fruit Bread

This traditional soft Christmas fruit bread is similar to the German Christmas Stollen.

Ingredients make 1 loaf

500 g white bread flour

70 g caster sugar

1 tsp salt (6g)

1 sachet dried yeast (7g)

120 g butter

120 ml milk

2 eggs (100g)

1 lemon, zest of

270 g mixed dried fruit

40 ml rum

100 g chopped almonds

Method

Place mixed fruit and rum in a bowl and combine. Place flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl, blend until evenly combined. Add butter, milk, eggs and lemon zest, blend until dough has formed. Knead the dough by hand or machine until smooth. Add the fruit mixture and almonds, mix evenly and rest covered for approx. 60 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured kitchen table. Deflate the dough and form the dough into a log shape. Place the loaf on a baking paper lined baking tray and prove covered for approx. 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C normal bake (fan forced) 180°C. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and bake for approx. 30 minutes. Remove bread from the oven and brush the top with 40 g melted butter. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and allow cooling for at least 15 minutes before sifting icing sugar on top and slicing.

Note: You can add 2 tsp mixed spice for extra flavour and if you don’t have mixed spice make a blend containing equal amount of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.