To make this dried fruit loaf you can use any dried fruit that you enjoy. Personally I always go for apples. But when I make it again I will use figs. Try it with dates or prunes to add some lovely dark colours.
Head straight on to the Recipe For Dried Fruit Loaf♥
When I was 16, like all other South Africans, I was entitled to get an Identity Document. At this time I had to decide on my signature, which would have to stay as is at least until I had written my final year exams. At the same time I was issued with a passport, and into that went my signature. For some reason I decided to go with my full name, including my middle name initial. Why on earth I chose something 13 letters long is beyond me? Especially when I had to sign it over and over again on travellers’ cheques. I did not change my signature until credit card machines were invented. My very long signature did not fit on the small slip of paper. And so in my twenties I changed it to be my first name with my last two initials.
Today’s inspiration ♥ Recipe For Dried Fruit Loaf ♥ can be found on Lavender and Lime Share on X
Luckily for me I did not have to alter my signature when Dave and I got married as his surname also started with an ‘S’. For the past 20 years I have signed the exact same signature. Until this past week I have never faltered. But then I got some important documents to sign and I messed up. Thankfully I had a duplicate but I could not believe how I had made such a mess. Then I went to the bank and signed incorrectly. Everything happens in threes and it took my signature on a document where it was clearly stated I should not sign to end the run. Something I would not have minded happening in threes was this dried fruit loaf. Don’t be shy to change the dried fruit you use if you make this.
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Dried Fruit Loaf
Ingredients
- 300 g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100 g rye flour
- 100 g wholemeal flour
- 10 g fine salt
- 10 g instant yeast
- 30 g softened butter
- 30 g honey
- 270 mls water, divided
- Canola oil for kneading
- 100 g seedless raisins
- 180 g dried fruit, chopped
Method
- Place the flours into a bowl and add the salt on one side and the yeast on the other side
- Add the butter, honey and 240mls water and use your fingers to start forming a dough
- You might need to add the rest of the water if necessary, but do so a little at a time until you get a nice soft dough and all the flour has been incorporated
- Spread a little bit of canola oil onto your worktop and tip your dough out of the bowl onto the oil
- Knead for at least 5 minutes, and until the dough has formed a smooth, soft skin
- Lightly oil the bowl and place your dough into it and cover
- Leave to prove until doubled in size
- Lightly dust your worktop with flour and tip the dough out
- Add the raisins and dried fruit and knead them in until the fruit stops dropping out
- Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and leave to prove for an hour
- Lightly dust your worktop with flour and gently tip the dough out
- Gently fold it inwards to knock it back and when the dough is smooth, shape it into an oval and place onto a lined baking tray
- Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove until the dough has doubled in size
- Preheat the oven to 210° Celsius
- Dust the exposed surface with flour and gently push in any exposed fruit
- Cut a deep slash along the length of the loaf and bake for 35 minutes
- Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime October 6:
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- 2014 – Bakewell Tart
- 2013 – Mad About You
- 2011 – Mixed Mushroom Ragu
Dave and I are overseas in the United Kingdom. We will be back at work on the 23rd of October. I will start replying to comments then. I won’t be able to read any blogs while we are away so please forgive my lack of visiting back. You can follow our trip by taking a look at our holiday blog.
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Looks like a fabulous loaf.
Have a great weekend.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thank you Mandy xx
Tandy this looks delicious, love the combination of fruit you’ve used. How funny about your signature! Who’d have thought you’d suddenly go wrong after so many years!
I know. Thankfully I have not had the problem since then.
Now that is my kind of bread…it has to be delicious toasted with a cup of tea in the morning.
It really is!
This loaf is gorgeous! I rarely find dried cherries here, and miss them very much. 🙂
I would make my own if cherries were cheaper here 🙂
This dried fruit loaf looks so classic and festive, Tandy. I am sure it tastes delicious.
It will be perfect for Christmas as well.
Oh this loaf looks delicious Tandy, I have yet to make a loaf of bread and I need to change that.
It is so rewarding to make your own
This looks delicious Tandy. I’d also be keen for when it gets stale so I could make french toast from this!
Now I need to make another loaf.
I am not sure about rye fruit loaf. I does sound healthy and interesting but I am not sure if my boys will go for it. Maybe I will experiment and use a different flour.
Please let me know if you do.
your loaf looks lovely Tandy. i am hopeless with handwriting (I failed it in primary school) and i dread signing anything. thank goodness most things are done on the computer these days. cheers S. x
Who knew you could fail handwriting, and lucky for you we can type everything today. My handwriting depends on the pen, and sometimes even I cannot read it 🙂
Hi Tandie, I am thinking of making this recipe but I don’t have bread flour, can I use plain flour in this fruit loaf recipe?
Hi Trish, you can, but the texture will not be the same 🙂