Bara Brith - Wales

Submitted by Mme M

"From Celtic Cookery by Iris Price Jones. "Bara Brith (literally Speckled Bread) is a spicy currant loaf which used to be made every bread baking day by adding sugar and spices and fruit to a portion of the bread dough. It is common to all Celtic countries - called Selkirk Bannock in Scotland, Barm Brack in Ireland, Saffron Cake in Cornwall, and Morlais Brioche in Brittany. It is, I suppose, the most popular tea time dish in Wales and it would be a very unusual tea-party that did not include platefuls of bara brith. Recipes for making bara brith without yeast have multiplied these last few years, and are now generally used in preference to the traditional one, because they are so quickly made and so good. This one gives a rich, moist loaf that cuts well." Serve in thinly buttered slices with tea! My French neighbours enjoyed this a lot!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 1 lb mixed dried fruit
• 1⁄2 lb brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 lb self-raising flour
• 1⁄2 pint warm tea (no milk or sugar)

directions

1. Put the fruit in a large basin with the sugar, and just cover with warm strained tea. Leave overnight.
2. Next day, add to the fruit mixture the marmalade, cinnamon, the beaten egg and flour. Mix well together until you have a nice, slack mixture.
3. Bake in a loaf tin, greased and lined with buttered paper. Bake at 325F for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Preparation time is overnight soaking, plus 10 minutes active preparation the following day.
5. You can get interesting flavours by choosing unusual teas.