Bara Brith Fruit Bread

This traditional Welsh afternoon tea bread made with yeast and dried fruit is similar to the Irish Barmbrack.

Ingredients make 1 loaf

450 g white bread flour

50 g brown sugar

1 tsp salt (7g)

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tbls dried yeast

225 ml black tea

75 g butter

1 egg

350 g mixed dried fruit

Method

Place the flour, sugar, salt, spice and yeast into a large mixing bowl, blend until evenly combined. Place black tea and butter in a sauce pan, heat until butter is melted while stirring. Add tea mixture and egg to the flour blend. Mix until dough has formed and knead the dough by hand or machine until smooth. Blend in the mixed fruit and rest covered for approx. 90 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 dough in a greased 10 x 10 x 28 cm Pullman tin. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise until 1 cm from the top approx. 70 minutes. Preheat oven to 200º C.  Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for approx. 40 minutes. Remove the bread from the tin and allow cooling for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before cutting.

Note: Glaze the bread with butter or sugar syrup straight away after cooking.