Bara brith, Welsh fruit bread

Ingredients

• 250 ml of whole milk
• 450 g of flour
• 50 g of dark brown sugar (or molasses), plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 75 g of bacon (or margarine)
• 1 teaspoon of mixed spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, anise)
• 1 egg
• 200 g of Zante currants or sultanines
• 150 g of candied fruit and candied peel
• 75 g of chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• One small glass of liqueur or rum
• One very strong cup of tea

The night before, combine the grapes, candied fruit, walnuts, and brown sugar in a bowl. Cover with strong tea and let it steep overnight.

Heat the milk without boiling it, add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and the yeast, and let it foam for 15 minutes while keeping it warm.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Mix the flour with the lard, then add the beaten egg and the risen milk.

Knead until a soft dough forms, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise for 90 minutes in a warm place.

On a greased baking dish, combine the honey, liqueur, spices, and soaked fruits with their tea. The dough will be quite soft, which is normal.

Preheat the oven to 150 °C. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the top is a dark brown color. Insert a knife into the center during baking to allow steam to escape.

Let cool completely and then unmold. Serve in slices, spread with butter, within 48 hours.