Christmas Bread

Name: Christmas Bread
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100g/3½ oz lightly beaten egg, (about 2 eggs); 175g/6oz/1¼ cups white bread flour; 5g/1 tsp fresh yeast; 125g/4½oz/½ cup water, at about 25°C/75°F; 100g/3½oz/½ cup crystallized/candied ginger, chopped; 100g/3½oz/¾ cup raisins or sultanas/golden raisins; 100g/3½oz/1 cup dried cranberries; 50g/1¾oz/⅓ cup pitted dates, chopped; 50g/1¾oz/⅓ cup dried figs, quartered; 100g/3½oz /scant 1 cup almonds or Brazil nuts, chopped; 50g/1¾oz/3⅓ tbsp rum, brandy or fruit juice; 220g/7¾oz/1½ cups white bread flour; 70g/2½oz/⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar; 100g/3½oz/7 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

Preparation info

Makes
1
large loaves

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
4 hr 30

Appears in

Slow Dough, Real Bread

By Chris J L Young

Published 2016

About

While other nations have their stollen and panettone, when it comes to Christmas, here in Britain we tend to put our dried fruits and spices into cakes, puddings and mince pies. However, in English Bread and Yeast Cookery, Elizabeth David mentioned a Christmas bread recipe from Cumbria, which inspired