Small loaf as am home alone, but this can be doubled easily with no strain on
This is a light and delicately flavoured loaf. For a heavy duty fruit loaf make JulieO's excellent one.
Ingredients
180 g water, or make a softer dough by substituting some with 2 dessert spoons sour cream and weighing the water and cream to 180g
50 g wholemeal flour
200 g strong bread flour
5g dried yeast, or 10g fresh yeast or 3.5 g fast acting yeast.
1 tsp salt
35 g roughly chopped nuts, I used Brazil nuts
35 g fruit, I used jumbo raisins. I pre soaked the raisins for a little with boiling water, then measured this water as part of the total water content.
Method
Mix water, sour cream and yeast at
sp 2, 2 minutes at 37'.
Add flour
2 minutes.
Rest 10 minutes in jug.
Add salt
one minute.
Tip out on to oiled work top and gently work in fruit and nuts by hand. ( can use
but it will mash the fruit)
Rise in oiled bowl for an hour or until doubled.
Tip on to oiled work top. Gently shape into round. Cover with bowl and wait 5 minutes.
Shape and put into greased bread tin, or shape into free form loaf. Cover with bowl and allow to prove until doubled in size.
Slash top.
Optional - Glaze with egg wash or milk, or dust with flour.
pre- Heat oven to 230
Put on pre heated shelf or pizza stone and turn the oven down to 190 to prevent burning the fruit.
Cook 25 to 30 mins until internal temp of 200'F is reached.
This recipe can be done without the rests but for an even lighter loaf the rests do help.
Variations:
Use walnuts and olives, add 1 T EVOO at same time as salt. (instead of sour cream)
Cranberries and pistachios.
Almonds and dried blueberries.
Hazelnuts and choc chips.
Add 1 tsp sugar at same time as salt for a hint of sweetness.
Add more fruit and nuts up to 50g of each. Too much will prevent loaf rising.
Add 1 tsp molasses or black treacle in place of optional sugar to add colour.
This loaf is unglazed and very delicious
