Welsh Currant Raisin Bread Bara Brith (Made With Yeast)

Traditional bread made with butter, currants, white raisins, dark raisins, candied fruit peel and spices.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 3-4 loaves

Ingredients

• 8 -9  cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (5/8ounce)  fresh yeast cakes
• 24  tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (3/4 lb)
• 1 1⁄2 cups dried currants, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
• 1 1⁄2 cups  seedless white raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
• 3⁄4 cup dark raisin, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped  mixed candied fruit peel
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  grated nutmeg or 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  lukewarm milk
• 2  eggs, well beaten
• 2  teaspoons dark molasses, mixed with
• 1 1⁄2 cups  tepid water

Directions

1. Put 8 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl and let it stand in a warm place for a short while. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles meal, add the currants, raisins candied fruit peel, nutmeg or allspice, salt and all of the brown sugar but 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
2. In a smaller bowl cream the fresh yeast with the 1 teaspoons of brown sugar and blend the yeast mixture with the milk.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the yeast mixture into it and sprinkle a little additional flour over the yeast mixture. Cover the dough and let it stand in a warm place for a few minutes, until it is just beginning to rise. Pour the beaten eggs into the bowl and proceed to knead gradually adding the 1 1/2 cups tepid water mixed with the molasses. This should be a soft dough. Knead about 10 minutes.
4. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. Then turn the dough out onto a well floured board, divide it in half and put it into two well buttered 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Let the loaves rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until they have nearly risen to the rims of the pans.
5. Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, so that the tops are browned and loaves sound hollow when rapped.
6. Welsh Fare S. Minwel Tibbott.