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Fruit Bread

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

Course Bread
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword Bread
Servings 2 loaves
Author Valerie Lugonja

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

  1. Dissolve sugar in warm milk; sprinkle yeast and stand 10 min

Instructions for Dough

  1. In large bowl of electric mixer, place sugar, butter, salt, rind and 2 cups flour; add yeast mixture and beat 2 minutes
  2. Add 2 more cups flour and eggs; beat 3 minutes
  3. Stir in remaining 2 cups flour; form into soft dough
  4. Place on very lightly floured work surface; knead rigorously for 8 minutes until dough pops and is elastic (avoid adding more flour)
  5. Place dough into prepared bowl in warm place** to proof two hours or until double in size

Instructions for Kneading and Proofing DOugh

  1. Place dough on lightly floured surface; gently knead in raisins, candied fruit and pinenuts
  2. Shape into 2 portions; place each into prepared pan and rise until doubled or 1-2 hours

Instructions for Making Forming and Baking Loaves

  1. 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

  1. Weigh milk and yeast into TM mixing bowl; proof for 5 minutes at 37˚C speed 2
  2. Weigh sugar, butter, salt, rind and 220 grams flour into TM mixing bowl with yeast mixture; combine 1 minute speed 4
  3. 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
  4. Weigh remaining 220 grams flour into TM mixing bowl; combine for 15 seconds at speed 4-7 until dough clumps
  5. Knead 3.5 minutes; prepare large bowl to proof dough by greasing well with butter
  6. Dust non-dominant hand lightly with flour; remove sticky dough from TM bowl into very lightly floured work surface with floured hand
  7. 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
  8. Remove blade; remove all remaining sticky dough from sides of bowl with hand and add to dough on work surface
  9. Place dough into prepared bowl in warm place** to proof two hours or until double in size
  10. Place dough on lightly floured surface; gently knead in raisins, candied fruit and pinenuts
  11. Shape into 2 portions; place each into prepared pan and rise until doubled or 1-2 hours
  12. 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

  1. Delicious warm with butter and even better toasted, slathered with butter

Instructions for Freezing the Dough

  1. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place into a labelled and dated freezer bag; freezes well for up to three months

Recipe 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