How to Make Fruit Bread

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The steps for how to make fruit bread at home are easy, beginning with flour, a packet of yeast, white sugar, and a box of golden raisins.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

plus two rise time(s)2 30

Total Time3 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings or 1 loaf

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Equipment

Ingredients

for the bread

1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
⅔ cup MINUS 1 tablespoon milk room temperature: I use whole milk but you may use 2% also
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 large egg room temperature
1 cup golden raisins or any combination dried fruit to equal 1 cup
2 tablespoons candied orange or lemon peel

for the egg wash

1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream room temperature

Instructions

Place the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Drain and pat dry. Add the candied peel, stir and set aside. Lightly grease a standard loaf pan with baking spray. You may choose to use parchment paper across the narrow width of the pan for easy removal if you like. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, place the flours, yeast, sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Activate the yeast by adding the milk, butter, and egg. Knead the dough on 1st speed for four minutes. Increase your mixer speed to 2nd speed and continue to knead the dough for about 4 to 6 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not too sticky.
Place the dough into a separate lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough once, so the top is dually lightly oiled. I use two teaspoons of vegetable oil for this and coat the entire inside of the bowl using my pastry brush which ensures it's completely coated, but very thinly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Another tip to ensuring a successful rise is to place the bowl of dough into your off oven with only the light on, as the heat from the oven light alone is enough to hasten the yeast.
Once doubled in size, remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a rectangle. Sprinkle the swollen fruit and candied peel and nuts if using over the surface. Knead until the fruit is incorporated into the dough. Form the dough into a rectangle. Take the short edge of the rectangle and fold the dough lengthwise into thirds, like you're folding a letter. Make sure the edges of the dough are straight and even.
Turn the dough over so the seam is now underneath. With your palms, gently roll the dough back and forth until it's the length of your loaf pan. This action requires a light touch as you aren’t needing to roll it into a log, rather just enough pressure to achieve the length which may mean only a few rolls. Place the log of dough into your pan, seam side down. Cover the loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap that you’ve sprayed lightly with baking spray. Proof the dough at room temperature for about 1 hour or until the dough rises almost to the rim of your loaf pan. Again, an off oven may be used for this task.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk an egg yolk with heavy cream. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of the bread generously with the egg wash but not so much that it pools along the sides of the pan. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, turning halfway through, or until your bread is golden brown.
Remove from oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of the bread. It should read on or about 195°F.
Gently remove the bread from the pan, placing the bread top side up on a wire rack. Let cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Please Note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not use table salt or iodized salt in any of the recipes you find on Not Entirely Average UNLESS specified otherwise.

Storing and Leftovers, well wrapped, the bread is fine at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

To Freeze for up to 3 months, wrap first tightly in plastic wrap, then tightly in heavy gauge aluminum foil, and loaded into a freezer-safe plastic bag.

A Sandwich Idea Using This Fruit Bread assemble a real old-fashioned British style "Doorstep" sandwich by placing two thick slices of fruit bread on a baking sheet. Add a thick slice of room temperature sharp aged cheddar on one half, and apricot chutney and scant sweet whole grain mustard on the other. Broil BRIEFLY but ONLY until not quite melted or bubbly, then smash them together. The Doorstep Sandwich.

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