Fruit Bread

Fruit bread is a well-known recipe for the Christmas season. The bread gets its name from all of the dried fruit. In addition to dried pears, many other dried fruits like prunes, raisins, figs, orangeat, and hazelnuts are also on the ingredients list. 

In the beginning, fruit bread was made without honey and sugar, because the sweetness came only from the dried fruit. This variant of fruit bread wrapped in yeast dough is rather rare. The yeast dough takes away the rustic look of the bread, but prevents the fruits from burning on the outside.

Recipe

Fruit mixture:

  • 250g Dried pears (chopped small)
  • 150g Raisins
  • 150g Dried plums (halved)
  • 150g Figs (chopped small)
  •   50g Orangeat
  • 150g Toasted Hazelnuts (whole)
  • 125g Brown sugar
  • 200g Boiling water
  •   50g Rum
  •   25g Schnaps
  •     3g Fruit bread spice

Mix everything together, cover and let soak for 1-2 days

Bread dough:

  • 80g Rye flour
  • 40g Wheat flour
  • 85g Water
  •   5g Yeast

Stir together the flour, yeast, and water and mix into the fruit mixture on slow speed. Don’t mix too long- just mix until combined (if the dough appears too firm, additional water can be added). Cover the dough and let it mature for 60 minutes. 

Brioche dough:

  • 250g Brioche dough see here

Divide the dough mass into 5 equal-sized pieces. To make the work day easier, the brioche dough can be prepared the day before and stored in the refrigerator at 4°C.

Instructions:

  • Roll out the 5 pieces of brioche dough into flat circles (about 17-20cm diameter).
  • Brush off the dough circles with a brush (no loose flour should remain).
  • With wetted hands, divide the fruit mixture into 5 equal-sized pieces and form into round dough balls (the fruit mixture adheres to the brioche dough due to its damp surface). 
  • Place the damp fruit balls in the middle of the rolled out dough pieces and lightly press. 
  • Now the dough can be wrapped around the fruit mixture.
  • After wrapping, the fruit loaves should be brought into an even shape.
  • Brush with egg yolk and then prick with a fork (this hinders the formation of bubbles). 
  • Decorate the surface with halved almonds
  • Before baking, let them stand for at least 80-90 minutes.
  • The fruit breads are baked at 190°C reduced to 180-175°C /without steam!
  • Baking time: 60 minutes