Schnitzbrodt (German Fruit Bread)

Mysterygirl's Note:

This is in response to a request on the boards for an Amish fruit bread...this is the closest I found. It comes from an old community cookbook, the proceeds of which went towards the preservation of Hermann, Mo's German Heritage. Note that the fruit must be soaked over night and I haven't added that into the times here.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 40

Yield: 4.0 loaves

• 12 ounces mixed dried fruit
• 8 ounces dried apples
• 1 package dry yeast
• ¼ cup lukewarm water (115° - 120°)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ cups lukewarm scalded milk (115° - 120°)
• 1 ½ cups flour , unsifted
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs , well beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ cup raisins
• ¾ cup currant
• 1 cup nuts , chopped,if desired
• 7 cups flour , more as needed

Directions:

1. Cover mixed dried fruit and apples with boiling water in saucepan and soak overnight.
2. Next morning, cook until fruit is quite soft, about 15 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
3. Chop or cut up fruit.
4. Soften yeast in lukewarm water, add 1 Tbsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
5. Add milk.
6. Add 1 ½ C flour to make a sponge and set aside until bubbles break on top.
7. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
8. Add 1 C sugar and cream well.
9. Mix in beaten eggs.
10. Add the sponge, chopped fruits, salt, cinnamon, raisins, currants and nuts.
11. Beat in 3 cups flour.
12. Divide dough into fourths.
13. Take out ¼ of the dough and knead on a floured pastry cloth or board adding enough flour to keep the dough soft but not sticky.
14. Continue doing this 3 more times until all the dough has been worked up, then knead it all together.
15. Lightly oil a clean bowl, take dough and run the top around the inside of the bowl, place it in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
16. Knead lightly, divide into 4 portions and shape each into a loaf, place in greased loaf pans.
17. Cover and let rise until double.
18. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake 45 minutes longer or until done.

Reviews

[Barb Gertz]

A Very good fruit bread, I just finished eating a slice it was still warm.Yum. This recipe is very time consuming, But I belive it is worth. It makes 4 nice sized loaves, Nice for a large family or to give as gifts. I cut the fruit all up before soaking. The baking time was perfect, I covered the loaves with foil to keep from over browning. Thank you Mystergirl for posting the recipe.