1/4 lb Dried fruit
4 oz Candied peel
1 pt Warm water
1/2 ts Mixed spice
2 lb Plain flour
2 ts Salt
6 oz Lard
1 oz Fresh yeast
1/2 lb Demerara sugar
2 Eggs
Oven: 450F, Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes: 375F, Gas Mark 5 for 45 minutes.
Soak the fruit and candied peel in the water with the spice. Leave to
steep in a warm place and use the warm spicy, strained water to mix the
dough. Sift the flour and salt and rub in the lard; cream the yeast with
the sugar and a little of the spiced water; mix this into the flour,
together with the eggs and use enough of the water to give a firm, yet
elastic dough. Knead well, leave to rise and knock back; blend in the
drained fruit and knead again. Shape the dough into loaves and set into
greased 1 lb tins in a warm place to prove; bake, reducing the temperature
after the first 15 minutes. Originally, in some recipies, the fruit content
would have been fresh currants or blackberries. Bara Brith is often served
as part of the traditional Welsh tea. It can also be purchased at many of
the small bakeries found throughout Wales. British Cookery (BTA/BFPC)
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdjaxxx.zip
Yields
16 Servings