Cinnamon and Raisin Fruit Loaf

This recipe appeared in the December issue of Delicious magazine and I set about making it straight away. I'm a bit of a sucker for fruit bread and this one didn't fail. Both Hubby and I really enjoyed inhaling our slices warm from the oven with the butter melting in. Actually I used spread instead of butter ... it was the lead up to the festive period and every ounce counts, as my scales are more than happy to point out to me!

This loaf recipe is fairly similar to the Fruit Loaf I usually make but I found that using the yeast in this dough makes for a lovely fluffy texture. The Fruit Loaf can sometimes be a bit on the dense side but as it doesn't have yeast in it means it is less labour intensive so I'm not ready to consign the recipe to the bin quite yet!

Cinnamon and Raisin Loaf

30g dried cherries (I used dried cranberries)

125g mixed golden sultana's and raisins

50g dried apricots

250ml strong Lady Grey tea, cold

400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

7g sachet (2 tsp) active dried yeast

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

55g butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus a little extra for brushing

1 medium free range egg, beaten

150ml full fat milk, warmed

Oil, for greasing

Place the cherries (cranberries), sultanas, raisins and apricots in a large bowl, pour over the tea and leave to steep for a couple of hours before draining well.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast, cinnamon, sugar, salt and orange zest and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, egg and milk, then pour into the well in the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix to a soft dough. When the dough has nearly come together, add the fruit and combine.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins, until the dough is elastic and smooth, adding a little extra flour if its too sticky. Place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl, cover with well oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for 45 mins or until doubled in size.

Knock back the dough by punching it gently, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into an oblong or round and place in a lightly greased and floured 900g loaf tin. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for 30 mins or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C. Brush the top of the bread with melted butter and scatter with a little sugar. Bake in the oven for about 25 mins until the top is golden brown and the loaf makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf

Delicious Magazine - December 09

The only thing left to do after making this is to cut a slice, spread with butter (!!!), make a cuppa and relax!