Spiced fruit loaf
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Plus soaking, rising and proving
- More effort
- Makes 2 x 2lb loaves, each cuts into 8 slices
Ingredients
For the dough
- 450g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 x 7g sachets easy-blend yeast
- 50g caster sugar
- 150ml warm milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 50g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- oil, for greasing
For the spices
For the dried fruit
- 50g dried apricot, chopped
- 50g dried fig, chopped
- 50g pitted date, chopped
- 50g sultana
- 50g glacé cherry, chopped
- juice 1 orange
Method
- STEP 1
Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for about 30 mins, then sieve, reserving the juice.
- STEP 2
Put the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt into a large mixing bowl with the spices and soaked fruit and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, reserved orange juice, the beaten egg and the melted butter. Mix everything together to form a dough – start with a wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it’s too wet, add more flour.
- STEP 3
Knead in the bowl or on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size – this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.
- STEP 4
Knock the dough back by kneading for a few secs. Dust 2 x 2lb loaf tins with flour. Halve the dough. Use a little flour to help you shape each half into a smooth oval, then pop them into the tins. Cover both loosely with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
- STEP 5
Bake for 20 mins, then cool in the tins before turning out and slicing.
