Christmas Fruit Bread Recipe

Fruit Bread 

 Ingredients :

 For the dough

• maida /all purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups ( 350 g )
• warm milk - 220 ml
• sugar - 3 tbs ( 45 g )
• butter - 3 tbs ( 45 g )
• instant yeast - 1 tsp ( 4 g )
• salt - 1 tsp ( 7 g )

 For fruit mix

• tutti frutti ( candied papaya ) - 1/4 cup ( 30 g )
• black raisin - 1/2 cup ( 60 g )
• golden raisin - 1/4 cup ( 25 g )
• glaced cherry  - 1/2 cup ( 60 g )
• cardamom powder - 1tsp
• cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
• nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
• pine apple essence - 1/4 tsp
• vanilla essence - 1tsp
• orange zest - 1 tbs

 Method

  Prepare dough

• mix all the ingredients for dough and knead for 6 - 7 minutes
• transfer into a greased bowl
• cover and let it rest until double in size
• when it is ready gently press and degas the dough
• combine together all the ingredients for fruit mix
• incorporate the fruit mix with the dough in batches
• then shape this into a rectangle
• further roll it into loaf shape
• transfer into the greased loaf tin ( tin size 8 x 4.5 x 4 inches )
• cover and rest until almost 80% of the tin is full ( around 75 minutes )
• now brush the top with egg or milk

 Baking

• bake this in a preheated oven at 190 degree Celsius for 40 - 45 minutes 
• if the top become more brown before completing the baking, cover the top with an aluminum foil to prevent over browning
• make sure that the bread is perfectly baked; under baked bread will have yeasty flavor.

 Cooling

• once baked, take it out from oven
• remove from the tin and allow it to cool down completely
• the flavor develops as it sits
• it it better to cut it on the next day
• then slice and enjoy !!