European Recipes:Welsh Recipes:Bara Brith (Currant Bread)

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

       Title: Bara Brith (Currant Bread) Welsh
Categories: Breads
       Yield: 16 servings

     1/4 lb Dried fruit                         2 ts Salt
       4 oz Candied peel                        6 oz Lard
       1 pt Warm water                          1 oz Fresh yeast
     1/2 ts Mixed spice                       1/2 lb Demerara sugar
       2 lb Plain flour                         2 ea Eggs

   Oven: 450F, Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes: 375F, 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)