Simple yet yummylicious!: Fruit Loaf Bread

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Ingredients:

300 g. bread flour (sifted)

20 g. brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

25 g. unsalted butter (room temperature)

200 g. milk

80 g. dried fruits (raisins, orange peel, green and red cherries) - can add more dried fruits, up to 120 g.

Egg wash:

1 egg, whisked

Methods:

Put all ingredients (except butter and dried fruits) into the mixer bowl. Using the dough hook, knead for 5 minutes using medium speed until the dough almost comes together. Add butter and continue kneading for another 10 minutes until the dough comes together, and is elastic and reaches window pane stage. Add in dried fruits and knead until all incorporated in the dough. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk or water at a time. Some bread flour absorbs more water.
Take the dough out and form into a ball, put it into a greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for 60 minutes or until double in size.
Tip dough out onto a lightly work surface, punch down the dough to release the air. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out each dough with a rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough until a small log is formed.
Transfer the dough to a lined loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough portion.
Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel, let it rise for another 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size.
15 minutes before the ending of the second proofing, preheat oven to 190 degree Celsius.
Brush the dough with egg wash.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove bread from oven and let them cool on a rack.

Notes:

If you don't have milk available, just replace the milk with water and add 3 tablespoons of full cream milk powder.
For the loaf pan, I did not have the exact required size of 8"x3"x3", instead I use my cake loaf pan of 8"x4"x2". This is why my fruit loaf bread turns out with a higher top.