Bara Brith

About This Recipe

Bara Brith, meaning 'speckled bread' in Welsh, is one of the great loaf cakes of Britain — dense with tea-soaked fruit, warmly spiced, and moist enough to eat without butter, though a thick smear of salted Welsh butter is hardly to be refused. The dried fruit is soaked overnight in strong, cold black tea, which plumps the fruit and gives the loaf its characteristic deep colour and flavour. Traditionally made with yeast, the modern version uses self-raising flour for simplicity, though both are equally beloved. It is served at every Welsh gathering from chapel teas to national celebrations.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 400 gmixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
• 300 mlstrong black tea, cooled
• 175 gsoft dark brown sugar
• 1 eggegg, beaten
• 275 gself-raising flour
• 1 tspmixed spice
• ½ tspcinnamon
• 2 tbsporange marmalade

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the fruit

   Combine dried fruit, sugar, and cooled tea in a large bowl. Stir well, cover, and leave to soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.

2. 2

   Preheat and prepare

   Preheat oven to 170°C (fan 150°C). Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking paper.

3. 3

   Mix the batter

   Stir the beaten egg and marmalade into the soaked fruit. Sift in the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon. Fold gently until just combined — do not overmix.

4. 4

   Bake

   Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 70–80 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.

5. 5

   Cool and serve

   Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Slice thickly and serve with salted butter.

Variations

• •

  Add a handful of chopped glacé cherries or mixed peel.

• •

  Stir in 50g of dark chocolate chips.

• •

  Make individual muffin-sized loaves for gifts.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Wraps beautifully in foil or beeswax wrap and keeps for up to a week. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions