Christmas Fruit Bread

This is a delicious, spiced bread that is very much in the tradition of the richly spiced and very fruity breads and cakes of the Christmas season. It is excellent served warm with butter or can be made in advance and stored. Toasting it on Christmas day will bring back its warmth.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and the salt together and leave in a warm place.
2. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water in a cup and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour mixture that was standing.
4. Beat the eggs and add to them the warm milk. Mix the mixture properly and then add enough water to give you 450ml (¾ pint) of liquid.
5. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Slowly add the yeast mixing with your fingers follow that with the egg mixture and continue mixing with your fingers. When all is combined leave to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
6. Measure out all your dried fruit and mixed peel, mix all fruits and peel together and leave in a warm place.
7. After the dough mixture has stood for half an hour, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead well.
8. Add the fruit and peel mix, the sugar, treacle and spices. Knead all this well into the dough mixture. Leave to rise again for 2 hours.
9. Oil and sprinkle with flour two x 1 kg (2 lb) loaf tins.
10. Divide the mixture into two equal halves and place in tins.
11. Leave the dough mixture in tins to rise for another 20 minutes. At this point switch the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 so as to pre-heat it.
12. Bake the loaves in the oven for 1¼ hours or when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
13. Cool in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
14. If you are storing the bread, it will have to be quite cool before you will be able to store it. Wrap in a clean cloth and store in air tight container.

Cooking Times and Serving Sizes

Makes: 2 x 1 kg (2 lb) Loaves
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Standing Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Storage Time: Upto 2 weeks
Difficulty Level: Medium