1/4 lb dried fruit
4 oz candied peel
1 pt warm water
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 lb plain flour
2 tsp salt
6 oz lard
1 oz fresh yeast
1/2 lb demerara sugar
2 eggs
Directions
Oven: 450F, Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes: 375F, Gas Mark 5 for 45
minutes. Soak the fruit and candied peel in the water with the spice.
Leave to steep in a warm place and use the warm spicy, strained water
to mix the dough. Sift the flour and salt and rub in the lard; cream
the yeast with the sugar and a little of the spiced water; mix this
into the flour, together with the eggs and use enough of the water to
give a firm, yet elastic dough. Knead well, leave to rise and knock
back; blend in the drained fruit and knead again. Shape the dough
into loaves and set into greased 1 lb tins in a warm place to prove;
bake, reducing the temperature after the first 15 minutes.
Originally, in some recipies, the fruit content would have been fresh
currants or blackberries. Bara Brith is often served as part of the
traditional Welsh tea. It can also be purchased at many of the small
bakeries found throughout Wales. British Cookery (BTA/BFPC)
Servings: 16 servings
Bara Brith (Currant Bread) Welsh Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to prove the history of recipes back into history, in truth as far back as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. In practice though, sadly, these early cookbooks were just very simple hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel exhilarated and blissful. Closer to modern times, there are two books dating from the 14th Century - a recipe book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these have no connection with the indian curry that appears on menues today, but rather descriptions of the types of food served to the nobility of the time. During the succeeding few centuries, the upper-class families of the West strove to serve the most extravagent banquests, and consequentially the best chefs and their recipes were much in demand. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that fine cooking and recipe publications became really popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, dedicated the best years of their lives to collecting, testing, and publishing recipes common in their social group. By the arrival of the 1900s, cookery publications were greatly in demand as a result of better eduction, people having increased free time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Bara Brith (Currant Bread) Welsh recipe.
