Fruit Loaf - My most successful conversion so far!

[Amy :-)]

Fruit Loaf
Ingredients:
720g baker's flour
4 tsp instant dried yeast
2 tsp sugar, plus 1 tbsp extra
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tsp salt
60g butter, melted
50g mixed peel
40g raisins, roughly chopped
100g sultanas
2 tsp mixed spice

Preparation:
1. Place 480g flour into TM bowl and warm for 3 minutes/37 degrees/speed 3. In the meantime, measure yeast and 2 tsp sugar into a small bowl and mix together.
2. Add yeast and sugar to TM bowl. Set TM to speed 2 and slowly pour in lukewarm water. When all the water is poured in, increase speed to 3 and mix until well combined. Leave dough to double in size. (Mine took about 1 hour, but it is very cold here.)
3. When dough has doubled, stab it with the spatula or other utensil. Give it a few good stirs to release any air pockets. It will be quite sticky and stringy.
4. Add salt and remaining 240g flour. Knead for 2 minutes/interval speed.
5. Add melted butter, dried fruits and mixed spice. Incorporate briefly with spatula so some of the butter and fruit gets down to the blades. Knead for 6 minutes/interval speed. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I didn't set TM to reverse. I was going to, but I forgot. As you can see in the photos, my fruit got pretty chopped up. So its up to you whether you want chunky fruit or not.)
6. Divide dough between two well-greased loaf tins and leave to double in size. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
7. When loaves have doubled, bake for 20 minutes at 225 degrees and then reduce temperature to 175 degrees for 15 minutes.
8. Turn loaves out onto wire racks to cool before slicing and serving with butter. Or not if you're on a diet

Notes
This was my first successful conversion of a fruit loaf. If anyone else trys it, I hope it works just as well for you!

[Amy :-)]

Couple more photos, just because I'm so proud of myself

[jakodai]

I have subscribed to this post - will certainly be trying it!

[Amy :-)]

Yay! Thanks Amanda

Less than a week to go...

[jakodai]

I'm counting, trust me!

[judydawn]

Well done Amy, there's nothing like a nice fruit loaf toasted for breakfast.  You have every right to feel proud of yourself.

[Amy :-)]

I'm counting, trust me!

I do!

Well done Amy, there's nothing like a nice fruit loaf toasted for breakfast.  You have every right to feel proud of yourself.

Thanks Judy! I just woke up this morning with a feeling that today would be a good day to try some more TM bread, but I'm still amazed at how nicely it turned out! Thanks again!

[dede]

That looks great Amy. We love fruit loaf toasted. Yum.
When I was young I always had toasted fruit loaf with butter and Vegemite.
Not sure if I would like it with Vegemite now though. Just butter is so yummy.

[CraftyMum]

Sounds great! Cant wait to try it.

[Amy :-)]

Thanks ladies If you make it I hope you enjoy!

When I was young I always had toasted fruit loaf with butter and Vegemite.
Not sure if I would like it with Vegemite now though. Just butter is so yummy.

What an interesting combination Mandi! It reminded me of people who eat Weetbix with Vegetmite.
Maybe just stick to plain old butter

[dede]

Yep plain butter sounds good to me Amy, I really don't think I would want to try Vegemite and fruit toast now. But I must of loved it that way when I was young as its the only way I ate it. Funny how our tastes change as we get older. Although I never liked sweet breakfast cereals and cordial when I was young and I still don't like them.

[Amy :-)]

Funny how our tastes change as we get older.

Definitely! I think it could be because as we get older we're more in control of what we eat, so we are more willing to try new foods. And we can choose when we try them and how we prepare them But like you say about not liking sweet cereal or cordial, there are some things we never get a taste for... mine would have to be plain sultanas/raisins/currants. I can eat them in baked goodies like this fruit loaf, but never by themselves. Yuck!

[obbie]

Yummy Amy

[~[fruity]~]

Does it need the butter?  Can I sub dairy free marg? or oil? or coconut oil? (CMP free here as daughter who is BF is ana to CMP)

[Amy :-)]

I'm sure a dairy free spread such as Nuttelex would work well  ~[fruity]~