My Favourite Fruit Bread
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread - even better when it’s lightly spiced and studded full with jewels of dried fruit. This is my favourite recipe (so far!) - based on Emelia Jackson’s from First Cream The Butter And Sugar, but with my own tweaks. Devour this gorgeous loaf toasted til golden brown, then slathered with salty butter. Thank me later.
Don’t forget to tag me in your creations! @lozfozbakes
Ingredients
Tanzhong
25g bread flour
105g full cream milk
Fruit bread dough
160g full cream milk, room temperature or slightly warmer
15g caster sugar
7g instant dried yeast
scant 1 tsp fine sea salt
1 medium egg, room temp
300g bread flour
2-3 tsp of spices, your choice (cinnamon, clove, cardamom, or a mix)
50g unsalted butter, room temp and very soft
250-270g dried fruit, your choice (I used sultanas, currants, apricots & cranberries)
zest of 1 orange or a few small mandarins
Prepared tangzhong
Method
Make the tangzhong - place the flour and milk in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it forms a thick paste. Scrape to ensure none burns on the bottom. Leave to cool slightly.
In a large stand mixer bowl, combine the tangzhong, milk, sugar and yeast. Use the dough hook attachment to combine on low speed. Add the salt, egg, and flour and spices, then continue mixing with hook attachment til a dough comes together. Add the butter, a small bit at a time, and continue kneading. You can do this by hand if you want, but prepare for an arm workout.
Let the machine knead the dough for you on low speed (2-3) for 15-20 minutes until a smooth, soft dough forms. Be patient - I promise the butter will absorb into the dough. (Avoid adding any extra flour - it is a little wetter than a normal dough and that’s ok!)
On a lightly floured bench, bring the dough together into a ball using your hands. Place into a lightly oiled bowl (I reuse the stand mixer one) and cover with cling wrap. Allow to prove in a warm place until doubled in size and very light and bubbly (1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
While the dough proves, combine all your dried fruit in a bowl, then zest your orange directly over. Mix to combine and set aside.
Once dough is done proving, deflate the dough completely, then turn onto the bench. Flatten into a rough rectangle shape (don’t be precious) and scatter the fruit on top. Knead gently until the fruit is well distributed.
To shape into a loaf, flatten out into a rough rectangle shape with the long edge closest to you, about as long as your loaf tin. Fold in the short edges, then gently roll the long edge up, lifting and pulling tight (be GENTLE!) and tucking in the corners as you go. Once you reach reach the end, use your hands to pull the seams in tight. Place the loaf, seam side down, into your loaf tin.
Cover once again with slightly greased cling wrap and allow to prove in a warm place for a further 45-60 min, or longer if your kitchen is cooler. Poke the dough gently to test - if the indentation takes a few seconds to reinflate and disappear, it’s ready. If your indentation springs back quickly, leave it for a little longer. If your indentation remains in the loaf, it means you’ve overproved - not to worry. Get it in the oven quick!
In the last 15 minutes of the prove, heat your oven to 180C fan. Bake the loaf for 35-45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. If it is browning too quickly, cover with foil. The best way to know if it’s cooked is to take an internal temperature - the cooked loaf should reach between 82-88 degC.
Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. the bottom should be lovely and golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool completely before cutting into it and enjoying.
Will keep at room temperature for 5 days or so (if it lasts that long…), and freezes really well.
