Mamgus Bara Brith Recipes

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Pour hot tea over currants and raisins in a bowl; soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a sheet of parchment paper and use it to line a 2-pound loaf pan.
• Stir demerara sugar into tea and fruit mixture until dissolved completely.
• Mix flour and egg into the tea and fruit mixture until completely integrated into a batter.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared bread pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 40 minutes. Cool in the bread pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

MAMGU'S BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Place the three tea bags into a jug and add the boiling water. Leave to brew for 5 minutes.
• Place the dried mixed fruit in a mixing bowl, pour over the tea and dispose of the tea bags. Leave overnight.
• Add the sugar to the mixture and stir until disolved. Next add the whole egg, the flour and finally the mixed spice and ground cinnamon. Mix until the mixture resembles a thick cake like batter.
• Grease a loaf tin and pour in the cake mixture. It should come up no higher than half way, as the cake will rise in the oven.
• Place on the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 150 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Once done, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes or so until the cake comes away from the sides of the tin.
• Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
• Serve with butter and a nice hot cup of tea!

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Place fruit in large bowl. Pour tea over fruit. Add brown sugar and mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Add flour, milk, egg, marmalade and cinnamon to soaked fruit mixture. Stir until combined. Spoon dough into prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is brown and crusty and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Tip the fruit into a bowl with the sugar and orange zest. Pour over the tea, stir everything together and leave to soak overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and short sides of a 900g/loaf tin with 1 strip of baking parchment. Tip the flour and spice into a bowl, and beat in the fruit and soaking liquid. Add the egg, followed by the butter. Beat until you have a well-combined, stiff batter, then tip into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 1¼ hrs, covering with foil or parchment if the top starts to get too dark. Check with a skewer - if it doesn't come out clean, give it another 5-10 mins in the oven.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove and leave to cool completely. Serve sliced and buttered, if you like.

BARA BRITH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 flour and the other dry ingredients (first five).
• In a saucepan heat buttermilk, sugar, butter and salt just until warm (115-120 degrees F), making sure butter is melted; stir constantly.
• Add to flour mixture, adding the egg in as well. Beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds. Then beat at high speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in currant or raisins and as much of the remaining flour as can be mixed with a spoon. Turn onot floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough (takes 6-8 minutes).
• Shape into ball and place into a greased bowl, turning it over once. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 1/4 hours). Punch down and shape into a loaf. Put into a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan, cover and let rise till nearly double (30 minutes).
• Bake in oven at 375 degree F for 35-40 minutes, making sure to cover with foil the last 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.

TRADITIONAL WELSH BARA BRITH

Steps:

• This is Wales' traditional rich fruit bread.
• South Wales makes it with baking powder; Northerners prefer yeast as the raising agent. Either way it's delicious.
• Soak the dried fruit and sugar overnight in the tea.
• You can use either fresh tea, or the cold dregs from the teapot (this gives a good strong colour). Next day, sieve the flour and fold it it into the fruit. Mix in the lightly beaten egg.
• Line a small loaf-tin with buttered paper then tip in the mixture, smoothing it well into the corners.
• Bake in a gentle oven at 300 F (150 C) for 1-1/2 hours.
• Cool and store for at least 2 days in a tin so that it matures moist and rich.
• Traditionalists say you should never butter the Bara Brith, but it's lovely that way!

BARA BRITH.

Steps:

• Place the fruit and sugar in a mixing bowl, and soak overnight in the strained tea.
• Sieve the flour and mixed spice, and warm the marmalade.
• Add the flour, warm marmalade and egg to the soaked fruit.
• Mix well, pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours on 180c, 350f.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Serve sliced and buttered.