today I've mostly been baking ...........

[h12rpo]

My first go at "Bara Brith"

Or Welsh "speckled bread" .........and very nice it turned out too. It's a bit malty with a moist crumb and a honey glaze.

nom nom nom!



and the inside........

[cannyfradock]

.....now you're showing off!!! why not.....I love it. Any chance of the recipe and method?

Terry

[h12rpo]

Certainly.............
350g of strong white
Yeast sachet
30g brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
50g butter (or margarine if you're a big girl)
1 egg beaten
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 rounded tablespoons of ovaltine ( or other malt powder)
8 oz of dried mixed fruit ( this can be soaked in cold tea for a few hours if you want to follow rigidly nanna Minnie's recipe! But stick to the weight of 8oz)
Milk - about 6 fluid ozs

Warm the milk till hand hot but not boiling - use 1/2 of it to dissolve 1/2 of the sugar in and then add the pkt of yeast and set aside to go frothy for 10 mins or so
Sift flour, salt, sugar, mixed spice and cinnamon and 4 rounded tablespoons of ovaltine into a large bowl - rub the fat into the mix so that it resembles fine breadcrumbs
Pour in the egg, the yeast and most of the milk and mix to a dough
Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 10 mins till smooth and elastic - turn the bowl upside down and place over dough for about an hour till it doubles in size
Knock back to get air out then gradually knead in the fruit bit by bit - knead for 5 mins - butter up 2 lb tin and fire up your oven
Pat out he dough into a rectangle and roll up from the short side...........then slap it seam side down into the tin and cover with oiled clingfilm
Wait until it rises just above the top of the tin and throw into oven at 190 degrees c for 30 mins
Cover the top with foil to stop burning and cook or a further 20 to 25 mins
Tip out and do the hollow bottom test - if not done bung it back in for 5 mins upside down out of the tin
Whilst still cooling on a rack drizzle some honey on top ( sparingly!!!!!)
Fight off children and wife until cool
Eat
Enjoy!

Thanks to nanna minnie :-)

[rivergirl]

love it !!!! did you happen to knock up some welsh cakes as well

[h12rpo]

Ha ha no but am getting nagged by my eldest on to do so.................having too much fun with yeasty stuff to be honest

[minesamojito]

that looks stunning, love bara brith, toasted with lots of butter on!
Cheers
Marcus

[salilah]

Cute!
A crowd from The Fresh Loaf forum met earlier in the year for our (hope to be annual) get-together in Oxford - the landlord of the pub loves Bara Brith so I think we had 4 or 5 different versions to try - definitely yummy!