Bara Brith Bread Recipes

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Pour hot tea over currants and raisins in a bowl; soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a sheet of parchment paper and use it to line a 2-pound loaf pan.
• Stir demerara sugar into tea and fruit mixture until dissolved completely.
• Mix flour and egg into the tea and fruit mixture until completely integrated into a batter.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared bread pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 40 minutes. Cool in the bread pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• In a large bowl soak the fruit and sugar in strained tea and leave overnight.
• Next day preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
• Mix the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture and beat well.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake the oven and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Tip the fruit into a bowl with the sugar and orange zest. Pour over the tea, stir everything together and leave to soak overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and short sides of a 900g/loaf tin with 1 strip of baking parchment. Tip the flour and spice into a bowl, and beat in the fruit and soaking liquid. Add the egg, followed by the butter. Beat until you have a well-combined, stiff batter, then tip into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 1¼ hrs, covering with foil or parchment if the top starts to get too dark. Check with a skewer - if it doesn't come out clean, give it another 5-10 mins in the oven.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove and leave to cool completely. Serve sliced and buttered, if you like.

SUGAR-CRUSTED BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Mix together the dried fruit and cranberries in a large bowl, then pour the hot tea over. Cover with cling film and leave to soak overnight.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the bottom of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Melt butter and marmalade together in a pan. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs. Drain any excess tea from the fruit. Mix the flour, sugar and spices together, then stir in the fruit, butter mix and milk until evenly combined. The batter should softly drop from the spoon - add more milk if needed.
• Spoon into the tin and level the top. Sprinkle with the crushed sugar and bake for 1-1¼ hrs until dark golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it starts to over-colour before the middle is cooked. Leave to cool completely in the tin and serve sliced.

BARA BRITH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 flour and the other dry ingredients (first five).
• In a saucepan heat buttermilk, sugar, butter and salt just until warm (115-120 degrees F), making sure butter is melted; stir constantly.
• Add to flour mixture, adding the egg in as well. Beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds. Then beat at high speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in currant or raisins and as much of the remaining flour as can be mixed with a spoon. Turn onot floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough (takes 6-8 minutes).
• Shape into ball and place into a greased bowl, turning it over once. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 1/4 hours). Punch down and shape into a loaf. Put into a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan, cover and let rise till nearly double (30 minutes).
• Bake in oven at 375 degree F for 35-40 minutes, making sure to cover with foil the last 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Place fruit in large bowl. Pour tea over fruit. Add brown sugar and mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Add flour, milk, egg, marmalade and cinnamon to soaked fruit mixture. Stir until combined. Spoon dough into prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is brown and crusty and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

BARA BRITH - WALES

Steps:

• Put the fruit in a large basin with the sugar, and just cover with warm strained tea. Leave overnight.
• Next day, add to the fruit mixture the marmalade, cinnamon, the beaten egg and flour. Mix well together until you have a nice, slack mixture.
• Bake in a loaf tin, greased and lined with buttered paper. Bake at 325F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Preparation time is overnight soaking, plus 10 minutes active preparation the following day.
• You can get interesting flavours by choosing unusual teas.