Ingredients
- 3½ cups unbleached plain flour
- 1 cup unbleached plain wholemeal flour
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 7 g sachet dried yeast
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1½ cups mixed whole dried fruit, such as apricots, dates, figs and prunes
- ½ cup raisins or muscatels
- 1 tablespoon milk, warmed
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra
Method
1. Brush a 12 × 11 × 27 cm bread loaf tin with melted butter or oil. Line base with baking paper. Place 3 cups of the plain flour, the wholemeal flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl; make a well in centre. Combine the orange rind, orange juice, water and oil. Add all at once to flour mixture and stir 2–3 minutes or until well combined. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and lightly oil the surface of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough is well risen.
3. Punch down dough, and then pat out to a large plate size. Mix dried fruit with raisins or muscatels; dot half the fruit over top of dough. Carefully fold over the dough and incorporate the fruit, taking care not to squash fruit. Repeat process with remaining fruit, folding dough until fruit is spread through it evenly. The fruit should remain whole during the kneading process.
4. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and form into 2 smooth, slightly elongated balls. Place in prepared tin. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has risen above top of tin. Preheat oven to 210°C (Gas 190°C). Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until cooked. Cover with foil if loaf is browning too much. Remove from oven; brush loaf top with combined warm milk and sugar, return to oven for 5 minutes. Brush again with milk and sugar glaze, remove from tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter as a healthy snack, or for morning or afternoon tea.
