Title: Bara Brith - Currant Bread - Welsh
Categories: Bread Welsh
Yield: 16 Servings
| 1/4 | lb | Dried Fruit |
| 4 | oz | Candied Peel |
| 1 | pt | Warm Water |
| 1/2 | ts | Mixed Spice |
| 2 | lb | Plain Flour |
| 2 | ts | Salt |
| 6 | oz | Lard |
| 1 | oz | Fresh Yeast |
| 1/2 | lb | Demerara Sugar |
| 2 | | Eggs |
Oven: 450øF, Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes: 375øF, Gas Mark 5 for 45 minutes.
Soak the fruit and candied peel in the water with the spice. Leave to
steep in a warm place and use the warm spicy, strained water to mix the
dough. Sift the flour and salt and rub in the lard; cream the yeast with
the sugar and a little of the spiced water; mix this into the flour,
together with the eggs and use enough of the water to give a firm, yet
elastic dough. Knead well, leave to rise and knock back; blend in the
drained fruit and knead again. Shape the dough into loaves and set into
greased 1 lb tins in a warm place to prove; bake, reducing the temperature
after the first 15 minutes. Originally, in some recipies, the fruit
content would have been fresh currants or blackberries. Bara Brith is
often served as part of the traditional Welsh tea. It can also be
purchased at many of the small bakeries found throughout Wales. British
Cookery (BTA/BFPC)