Bara Brith

Wotchers!

The obsession with yeast continues!

This time, it’s the classic Welsh speckled bread Bara Brith. Nowadays, this is usually made using baking powder as the leavener, but personally I prefer the more traditional yeast.

And bonus! There’s two recipes for you to choose from!

When looking at an old recipe, I usually study the range of recipes available and select the one that, to my imagination, sounds the nicest. If there is a tie, then I will make both and decide which makes the cut by taste. This time, however, it was too difficult to decide, so I chose not to choose and leave that decision to you.

Both recipes have their strongpoints, not least from their provenance and pedigree.

On the left of the photo above, we have the recipe from Walter Banfield’s classic book “Manna”: A Comprehensive Treatise on Bread Manufacture (1937), a book admired by Elizabeth David and breathtaking in its breadth and scope. It is based on additions made to ordinary white bread dough after its first proving. The large quantity of fruit and peel contrast brightly against the white of the dough and make for a very sturdy slice that will keep moist for a long time.

On the right of the photo, a possibly more authentic Bara Breith from Mrs E.B.Jones, who, for many years, ran the Powys Temperance Hotel on Market Square, Llanrhaeadr-Ym-Mochnant in the first half of the 20th century. The recipe was collected by Dorothy Hartley and included in her iconic book Food in England, first published in 1954. As can be seen from the picture, this recipe isn’t as heavily fruited as the first one, but it has the added interest of being made from half wheat flour and half oat flour (finely ground oatmeal). Against expectation, the crumb is very light, making it a much more delicate slice.

I love the richness of the fruit in the bread dough version, but also really enjoy the delicate flavours of Mrs Jones’ version. I suggest you make both and decide for yourself.

Both loaves will keep well wrapped in parchment and foil, in a cake tin. Both are best enjoyed sliced and buttered, with a hot cup of something in front of a roaring fire.

Mrs Jones’ Bara Brieth

Don’t feel the need to order oat flour especially for this recipe, you can make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a spice grinder, or just use medium oatmeal for a more robust texture.

60g candied orange peel – diced
100g currants
70g sultanas
225g strong white flour
225g oat flour or medium oatmeal
115g lard
115g Demerara sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp soft brown sugar
30g fresh yeast

• Put the peel and the fruit into a bowl and pour over boiling water. Set aside to plump for about 30 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, cream the yeast and the soft brown sugar together.
• Put the flours and the lard into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Tip into the bowl you will be using for mixing and add the Demerara sugar, spice and salt
• Drain the fruit, retaining the water, and use it to mix the dough. Keep the fruit warm in a low oven while the dough is kneaded.
• Add the yeast to the flour mixture with the egg, lightly whisked. Use the (by now just) warm fruit-soaking water to mix everything to a soft dough.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Mix in the warm fruit, cover with plastic and allow to rise until doubled in size. Due to the richness of the ingredients, this may take anything between 1 and 2 hours.
• Grease a large loaf tin.
• When the dough has risen, tip it out and pat down to deflate. Form into a loaf shape and lay into the prepared tin.
• Cover lightly and allow to rise for about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C, 150°C Fan.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn the tin around 180 degrees and lay a sheet of foil lightly over the top, to prevent the loaf browning too much.
• Bake for a further 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from the tin and if the bottom doesn’t sound hollow, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up. You can place the loaf directly onto the oven bars.
• Cool on a wire rack.

Walter Banfield’s Bara Brith

450g strong white flour
½ tsp salt
1tsp soft brown sugar
30g fresh yeast
warm water to mix

115g lard in small cubes
5g mixed spice
65g Demerara sugar
1 large egg
300g currants
90g sultanas
90g raisins
60g candied orange peel – diced
50g plain flour

• Cream the sugar and yeast together with a tablespoon of the flour and a little warm water and set aside to work
• Mix with the rest of the ingredients into a soft dough.
• Cover with plastic and set aside to rise for 1 hour.
• After 30 minutes, spread the fruit (not the peel) out on a baking sheet lined with parchment and put into the oven on its lowest setting, just to warm through.
• Grease a large loaf tin.
• When the dough has risen to twice its original size, add in the finely cubed lard, spice, egg and sugar and knead smooth.
• Add the warmed fruit and peel and mix thoroughly.
• Sprinkle over the flour and mix thoroughly.
• Shape into a large loaf and place into the prepared tin.
• Allow a long second rise, of 1-2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C, 150°C Fan.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn the tin around 180 degrees and lay a sheet of foil lightly over the top, to prevent the loaf browning too much.
• Bake for a further 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from the tin and if the bottom doesn’t sound hollow, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up. You can place the loaf directly onto the oven bars.
• Cool on a wire rack.