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
01 · Develop the enriched dough
12–16 minUse: 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.

01 Develop the doughDevelop a smooth, elastic dough before adding the fruit. 02 · Fold in the dried fruit and peel
3–5 minUse: 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.

02 Fold in the fruitGently enclose and distribute the sultanas and candied peel. 03 · Let the fruit dough rise
90–120 minUse: 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.

03 Let the fruit dough riseLet the covered fruit dough rise until roughly doubled. 04 · Shape one tin loaf
8–12 minUse: 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.

04 Shape in the tinShape a firm log and place it seam-side down in the greased tin. 05 · Proof and heat the oven
60–90 minUse:
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.

05 Check the final proofProof until puffy and a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly. 06 · Brush and bake
46–57 minUse: 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.

06 Bake the fruit loafBrush lightly with milk and bake until the loaf is set and brown. 07 · Cool fully before slicing
100 minUse:
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.

07 Cool completelyRemove from the tin and cool fully before slicing.
What to look for
| Stage | Look / feel for | Needs attention |
|---|---|---|
| Develop the enriched dough | The dough is soft and slightly tacky; a small piece stretches into a thin film before tearing. | |
| Fold in the dried fruit and peel | Fruit is spread throughout the dough rather than forming one clump; most pieces are inside the surface. | |
| Let the fruit dough rise | The dough is clearly aerated and roughly doubled in volume. Allow longer if it remains dense. | |
| Shape one tin loaf | The log fits evenly along the tin; loose fruit is tucked beneath the surface. | |
| Proof and heat the oven | The loaf is noticeably fuller with a rounded top; a shallow fingertip dent returns slowly. Bake before the surface becomes slack. | |
| Brush and bake | The sides are firm, the crust is brown and a probe placed into the centre between fruit pieces reads about 93°C. | |
| Cool fully before slicing | The loaf no longer steams inside and slices cleanly without a gummy band near the base. |
Troubleshooting
| If you see this | Likely cause | What to do now | Next 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.
Other approaches to this recipe
| Cook / recipe | Use | What differs |
|---|
The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.
