Helen’s Famous Canadian Holiday Fruit Bread
Helen’s Famous Holiday Fruit Bread is a traditional family favourite and one that is definitely on the "pass on" list
Servings: 2 loaves
Ingredients
Ingredients for Yeast
- 1 cup or 200 grams whole milk
- 3 packages or 25 grams dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon or 5 grams sugar if making by hand
Ingredients for Dough
- 6 cups or 660 grams flour
- ½ cup or 100 grams sugar
- ½ cup or 113 grams butter melted
- 1 teaspoon or 5 grams lemon rind grated
- 2 teaspoons or 10 grams salt
- 4 large know-your-farmer eggs
Ingredients for Filling
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 ½ cup “fancy” or "deluxe" glazed mixed fruit*
- ½ cup pine nuts
Instructions
Instructions for Proofing Yeast
- Dissolve sugar in warm milk; sprinkle yeast and stand 10 min
Instructions for Dough
- In large bowl of electric mixer, place sugar, butter, salt, rind and 2 cups flour; add yeast mixture and beat 2 minutes
- Add 2 more cups flour and eggs; beat 3 minutes
- Stir in remaining 2 cups flour; form into soft dough
- Place on very lightly floured work surface; knead rigorously for 8 minutes until dough pops and is elastic (avoid adding more flour)
- Place dough into prepared bowl in warm place** to proof two hours or until double in size
Instructions for Kneading and Proofing DOugh
- Place dough on lightly floured surface; gently knead in raisins, candied fruit and pinenuts
- Shape into 2 portions; place each into prepared pan and rise until doubled or 1-2 hours
Instructions for Making Forming and Baking Loaves
- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F and bake 45-55 minutes, or until golden on top; butter surface of each loaf to provide nice sheen
Instructions for Dough in Thermomix
- Weigh milk and yeast into TM mixing bowl; proof for 5 minutes at 37˚C speed 2
- Weigh sugar, butter, salt, rind and 220 grams flour into TM mixing bowl with yeast mixture; combine 1 minute speed 4
- Weigh 220 grams flour into TM bowl with combined ingredients and add eggs; fully incorporate for 1 minute at speed 3.5 stopping at 30 seconds to scape down sides of bowl
- Weigh remaining 220 grams flour into TM mixing bowl; combine for 15 seconds at speed 4-7 until dough clumps
- Knead 3.5 minutes; prepare large bowl to proof dough by greasing well with butter
- Dust non-dominant hand lightly with flour; remove sticky dough from TM bowl into very lightly floured work surface with floured hand
- Place blade back into TM mixing bowl; spin at speed 10 for 5 seconds until sticky dough flies off blade and onto sides of bowl
- Remove blade; remove all remaining sticky dough from sides of bowl with hand and add to dough on work surface
- Place dough into prepared bowl in warm place** to proof two hours or until double in size
- Place dough on lightly floured surface; gently knead in raisins, candied fruit and pinenuts
- Shape into 2 portions; place each into prepared pan and rise until doubled or 1-2 hours
- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F and bake 45-55 minutes, or until golden on top; butter surface of each loaf to provide nice sheen
Instructions for Serving Fruit Bread
- Delicious warm with butter and even better toasted, slathered with butter
Instructions for Freezing the Dough
- Wrap well in plastic wrap and place into a labelled and dated freezer bag; freezes well for up to three months
Notes
*Tip 1: “fancy” fruit mix can usually be found at Bulk Bark in Canada; it is much larger pieces of a greater variety of candied fruit than the “regular” mixed fruit at most grocery stores *
*Tip 2: place glass of water in microwave on high; remove quickly and place covered dough into warm moist microwave to proof