Nepedia

Enriched fruit bread

A lightly enriched yeast loaf with sultanas, candied citrus peel and a little cinnamon. Cool it fully before slicing; the firm crumb also suits toasting the next day.

A citrus and sultana loaf with two slices showing fruit through the soft crumb.
Makes
1 loaf, about 12 slices
Heat
175°C conventional
Baking time
45–55 min
Cuisine / style
International
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Citrus and sultana fruit loaf

Makes
1 loaf, about 12 slices
Heat
175°C conventional
Baking time
45–55 min
Cuisine / style
International
International · Enriched fruit bread

Citrus and sultana fruit loaf

A lightly enriched yeast loaf with sultanas, candied citrus peel and a little cinnamon. Cool it fully before slicing; the firm crumb also suits toasting the next day.

Method

  1. 01 · Develop the enriched dough

    12–16 min

    Use: Plain flour; Caster sugar; Instant dried yeast; Fine salt; Ground cinnamon; Unsalted butter; Beaten whole egg; Whole milk; Water; Orange zest; Lemon zest

    Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Rub in the soft butter, then add the egg, milk, water and both zests. Mix until no dry flour remains. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–12 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

    Ready when: The dough is soft and slightly tacky; a small piece stretches into a thin film before tearing.

    Cook stretching a thin windowpane from the enriched dough, with sultanas and peel kept separate.
    01 Develop the doughDevelop a smooth, elastic dough before adding the fruit.
  2. 02 · Fold in the dried fruit and peel

    3–5 min

    Use: Sultanas; Candied mixed citrus peel

    Flatten the dough gently and scatter over the sultanas and chopped peel. Fold it over itself several times, then knead gently just until the fruit is evenly enclosed.

    Ready when: Fruit is spread throughout the dough rather than forming one clump; most pieces are inside the surface.

    Hands folding sultanas and finely chopped candied peel through the dough.
    02 Fold in the fruitGently enclose and distribute the sultanas and candied peel.
  3. 03 · Let the fruit dough rise

    90–120 min

    Use: Butter for the bowl and tin

    Grease a bowl with a little of the handling butter and keep the rest for the tin. Put in the dough, cover and leave at about 24–26°C for 90–120 minutes.

    Ready when: The dough is clearly aerated and roughly doubled in volume. Allow longer if it remains dense.

    Cook lifting a cloth to reveal risen fruit dough in a glass bowl.
    03 Let the fruit dough riseLet the covered fruit dough rise until roughly doubled.
  4. 04 · Shape one tin loaf

    8–12 min

    Use: Butter for the bowl and tin; Flour for shaping

    Grease a 23×13×8 cm loaf tin with the remaining handling butter. Lightly flour the worktop. Press out large gas pockets, pat the dough into a rectangle and roll it into a firm log about 21 cm long. Pinch the seam closed and place it underneath in the tin.

    Ready when: The log fits evenly along the tin; loose fruit is tucked beneath the surface.

    One raw fruit loaf fitted evenly into a rectangular tin.
    04 Shape in the tinShape a firm log and place it seam-side down in the greased tin.
  5. 05 · Proof and heat the oven

    60–90 min

    Use:

    Cover loosely and leave at about 24–26°C for 60–90 minutes. Heat the oven to 175°C conventional during the last 20 minutes.

    Ready when: The loaf is noticeably fuller with a rounded top; a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly. Bake before the surface becomes slack.

    Cook gently checking the rounded fruit loaf in its tin.
    05 Check the final proofProof until puffy and a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly.
  6. 06 · Brush and bake

    46–57 min

    Use: Milk for brushing

    Brush the top lightly with the separate milk wash. Bake for 45–55 minutes. After about 25 minutes, cover loosely with foil if the fruit or crust is becoming dark.

    Ready when: The sides are firm, the crust is brown and a probe placed into the centre between fruit pieces reads about 93°C.

    Cook using two oven gloves to support a tin of baked fruit loaf.
    06 Bake the fruit loafBrush lightly with milk and bake until the loaf is set and brown.
  7. 07 · Cool fully before slicing

    100 min

    Use:

    Leave the loaf in its tin for 10 minutes, then turn it onto a rack. Cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing.

    Ready when: The loaf no longer steams inside and slices cleanly without a gummy band near the base.

    One golden-brown citrus and sultana loaf cooling on a rack.
    07 Cool completelyRemove from the tin and cool fully before slicing.

What to look for

StageLook / feel forNeeds attention
Develop the enriched doughThe dough is soft and slightly tacky; a small piece stretches into a thin film before tearing.
Fold in the dried fruit and peelFruit is spread throughout the dough rather than forming one clump; most pieces are inside the surface.
Let the fruit dough riseThe dough is clearly aerated and roughly doubled in volume. Allow longer if it remains dense.
Shape one tin loafThe log fits evenly along the tin; loose fruit is tucked beneath the surface.
Proof and heat the ovenThe loaf is noticeably fuller with a rounded top; a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly. Bake before the surface becomes slack.
Brush and bakeThe sides are firm, the crust is brown and a probe placed into the centre between fruit pieces reads about 93°C.
Cool fully before slicingThe loaf no longer steams inside and slices cleanly without a gummy band near the base.

Troubleshooting

If you see thisLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
The dough rises slowly.Sugar, cinnamon or a cool room has slowed the yeast.Keep it covered at the stated warm room temperature and wait for the expansion cue.Use fresh yeast and check the room temperature; do not add extra cinnamon to this base.
Fruit burns on the surface.Exposed dried fruit colours faster than the dough.Cover loosely with foil while the centre finishes baking.Tuck protruding fruit beneath the surface during shaping.
The sliced loaf has a gummy lower layer.The centre was underbaked or the loaf was sliced hot.Toast slices if the loaf is fully baked but was cut too soon.Check the centre between fruit pieces and allow the full cooling period.

Storage: Cool completely, then wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Toast older slices. Freeze sliced bread for up to 2 months and toast from frozen or thaw while wrapped.; Contains: wheat, milk, egg, sulphites if present in the dried fruit or candied peel.; This Nepedia version has not been kitchen-tested.

Ingredient choices & substitutions

No brand is specified.

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe
Cook / recipeUseWhat differs

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Nepedia

Recipe

Citrus and sultana fruit loaf

A lightly enriched yeast loaf with sultanas, candied citrus peel and a little cinnamon. Cool it fully before slicing; the firm crumb also suits toasting the next day.

How do I make it?

  1. Develop the enriched dough

    12–16 min

    Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Rub in the soft butter, then add the egg, milk, water and both zests. Mix until no dry flour remains. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–12 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

    Cook stretching a thin windowpane from the enriched dough, with sultanas and peel kept separate.
    Develop a smooth, elastic dough before adding the fruit.

    Ready when: The dough is soft and slightly tacky; a small piece stretches into a thin film before tearing.

  2. Fold in the dried fruit and peel

    3–5 min

    Flatten the dough gently and scatter over the sultanas and chopped peel. Fold it over itself several times, then knead gently just until the fruit is evenly enclosed.

    Hands folding sultanas and finely chopped candied peel through the dough.
    Gently enclose and distribute the sultanas and candied peel.

    Ready when: Fruit is spread throughout the dough rather than forming one clump; most pieces are inside the surface.

  3. Let the fruit dough rise

    90–120 min

    Grease a bowl with a little of the handling butter and keep the rest for the tin. Put in the dough, cover and leave at about 24–26°C for 90–120 minutes.

    Cook lifting a cloth to reveal risen fruit dough in a glass bowl.
    Let the covered fruit dough rise until roughly doubled.

    Ready when: The dough is clearly aerated and roughly doubled in volume. Allow longer if it remains dense.

  4. Shape one tin loaf

    8–12 min

    Grease a 23×13×8 cm loaf tin with the remaining handling butter. Lightly flour the worktop. Press out large gas pockets, pat the dough into a rectangle and roll it into a firm log about 21 cm long. Pinch the seam closed and place it underneath in the tin.

    One raw fruit loaf fitted evenly into a rectangular tin.
    Shape a firm log and place it seam-side down in the greased tin.

    Ready when: The log fits evenly along the tin; loose fruit is tucked beneath the surface.

  5. Proof and heat the oven

    60–90 min

    Cover loosely and leave at about 24–26°C for 60–90 minutes. Heat the oven to 175°C conventional during the last 20 minutes.

    Cook gently checking the rounded fruit loaf in its tin.
    Proof until puffy and a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly.

    Ready when: The loaf is noticeably fuller with a rounded top; a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly. Bake before the surface becomes slack.

  6. Brush and bake

    46–57 min

    Brush the top lightly with the separate milk wash. Bake for 45–55 minutes. After about 25 minutes, cover loosely with foil if the fruit or crust is becoming dark.

    Cook using two oven gloves to support a tin of baked fruit loaf.
    Brush lightly with milk and bake until the loaf is set and brown.

    Ready when: The sides are firm, the crust is brown and a probe placed into the centre between fruit pieces reads about 93°C.

  7. Cool fully before slicing

    100 min

    Leave the loaf in its tin for 10 minutes, then turn it onto a rack. Cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing.

    One golden-brown citrus and sultana loaf cooling on a rack.
    Remove from the tin and cool fully before slicing.

    Ready when: The loaf no longer steams inside and slices cleanly without a gummy band near the base.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
The dough rises slowly.Sugar, cinnamon or a cool room has slowed the yeast.Keep it covered at the stated warm room temperature and wait for the expansion cue. Use fresh yeast and check the room temperature; do not add extra cinnamon to this base.
Fruit burns on the surface.Exposed dried fruit colours faster than the dough.Cover loosely with foil while the centre finishes baking. Tuck protruding fruit beneath the surface during shaping.
The sliced loaf has a gummy lower layer.The centre was underbaked or the loaf was sliced hot.Toast slices if the loaf is fully baked but was cut too soon. Check the centre between fruit pieces and allow the full cooling period.
Useful recipe notes

Storage: Cool completely, then wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Toast older slices. Freeze sliced bread for up to 2 months and toast from frozen or thaw while wrapped.

Contains: wheat, milk, egg, sulphites if present in the dried fruit or candied peel.

This Nepedia version has not been kitchen-tested.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Citrus and sultana fruit loaf at a glance

Makes
1 loaf, about 12 slices
Heat
175°C conventional
Baking time
45–55 min
Cuisine / style
International
Leavening
Yeast
How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Percentages compare each listed weight with the combined flour weight (100%). These are ingredient ratios, not dough hydration; milk, eggs and fillings contain other ingredients as well as water.

Formula componentGramsFlour = 100%
Plain flour360 g100%
Caster sugar50 g13.9%
Instant dried yeast4.5 g1.2%
Fine salt7 g1.9%
Unsalted butter28 g7.8%
Beaten whole egg50 g13.9%
Whole milk120 g33.3%
Water65 g18.1%
Ground cinnamon2 g0.6%
Orange zest4 g1.1%
Lemon zest2 g0.6%
Sultanas75 g20.8%
Candied mixed citrus peel60 g16.7%