Bara Brith
Eaten all over Wales. Traditionally the stove was lit on baking day and as the heat began to fade in the stove a handful of currants was added to the last of the bread dough and this speckled bread became a weekly treat.
RECIPE
Ingredients
- 450G/1lb self raising flour
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 175g/6oz Muscavado sugar
- 1 medium size free-range egg
- 1tbsp orange zest
- 2tbsp orange juice
- 1tbsp honey
- 300ml/½pt cold tea
- 450g/1lb mixed, dried fruit
- Extra honey for glazing
Method
Put the mixed dried fruit into a mixing bowl, pour over the tea, cover and leave to soak overnight. The next day mix together the sugar, egg, orange juice, zest and honey, add to the fruit. Sift in the flour and spice, and mix well. Pour the mixture into a buttered loaf tin, 1.2L/2pt.
Bake in a preheated oven at gas3/160c/325f for about 1¾ hours. The loaf should be golden in colour and firm to the touch in the middle. Baste with honey whilst still warm. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing in a cake tin.
The flavour of the Bara Brith can be altered slightly by adding a few flavours. When soaking the fruit, substitute ¼ of the fluid with a whisky liqueur. Replace the honey and fruit juice with 2 tablespoons of marmalade. Alternatively, replace two tablespoons of fruit with chopped stem ginger, and replace the juice and honey with lemon marmalade, and the orange zest with lemon.
