Barm Brack Recipe
A classic old spiced cake / bread recipe. Cooking at: 200 C / 400 F / Gas Mark 6
Cooking Temperature 200 C / 400 F / Gas Mark 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Milk lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Yeast
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Allspice
- dash Salt
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 2 cups Mixed Dried Fruit
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
Instructions
- Stir the sugar into the lukewarm milk, then stir the yeast in. Set aside.
- Crack the egg into a small cup or dish, beat with a fork till blended, set aside.
- Mix together the sugar, salt and spices, then mix the flour in. Rub in the butter till it's the consistency of coarse crumbs, then make a well in the centre and pour in the yeasty milk and the beaten egg.
- Beat with a spoon until you've got a consistent dough, then fold in the fruit, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead a bit.
- Place in a bowl, cover with a cloth and plate, and allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, then put it in a greased cake pan and allow it to rise again, for a half-hour or so.
- Toward the end of the brack's final rising in its pan, start heating your oven to 200 C / 400 F / Gas Mark 6
- When the oven is heated, pop the brack into the oven, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 5 or 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
The quickest way to get the milk lukewarm is to zap it in the microwave.
Instead of 1 teaspoon of allspice, you can use a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.
Use a cake pan that is about 7 inches / 18 cm wide.
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