Bara Brith

Bara brith, which translates as “speckled bread,” is a traditional yeasted Welsh loaf laced with plenty of tea-soaked currants. It has the texture of an enriched bread, rather than that of cake, so it is best eaten sliced and buttered and can also be toasted. Here, I have used baking powder instead of yeast and have replaced the customary currants with dried figs, as they give the loaf a lovely rich “toffee” flavor and a slightly nutty texture.