Ruth Pretty's Easter Bread Recipe
It's hard to believe Easter is just weeks away - but at least this gives us a lovely excuse to begin Easter baking season! We love the comfort of this time of year - with the weather turning and Autumn leaves peeking out, it's the perfect time to embrace a little warmth and spice. And there's no better place to start than with this darling Easter Bread recipe from Ruth Pretty, filled with all the traditional Easter spices we know and love.
For the Easter Bread:
2 tsp honey
190ml (¾ cup) boiling water
250ml (1 cup) cold water
3½ tsp active dried yeast granules
450g (3 cups + 4 tbsp) bakers’ flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp salt
75g (½ cup) raisins
75g (½ cup) sultanas
75g (12) dried apricots (roughly chopped)
50g (3 tbsp) mixed peel
25g (3 tbsp) sliced almonds (optional)
Olive oil for greasing hands
For the Lemon Icing:
95g (¾ cup) icing sugar (sieved)
½ tsp lemon zest
25ml (1 tbsp plus 2 tsp) lemon juice
1½ tsp extra light olive oil
½ tsp lemon zest
25ml (1 tbsp plus 2 tsp) lemon juice
1½ tsp extra light olive oil
Method
Preheat oven to 80ºC (yes - 80ºC is correct! This temperature is only to prove the bread).
In a large bowl, combine honey and boiling water and stir until honey is dissolved. Add cold water to honey mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle yeast over honey mixture and cover bowl with Gladwrap. Place the bowl in a warm area until mixture is bubbly and slightly risen (approx. 15 minutes) - this mixture is called the "sponge".
In a separate bowl combine flour, spices, salt and dried fruits and set aside.
Once the "sponge" is ready, beat vigorously with an eggbeater until frothy. Gradually incorporate flour and fruit mixture into sponge, mixing with a wooden spoon.
Spray a 25cm ring tin. Lightly grease your hands with a little oil and lift the dough from the bowl and stretch to fit around the ring (the dough will be very wet). Sprinkle dough with sliced almonds if using.
Alternatively, if you'd like to make individual buns, with lightly oiled hands divide dough into 9 even pieces. Grease a 22cm square tin and place dough balls evenly into tin.
Allow dough to prove in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until dough is level with top of tin (it may rise above top of tin during this time, but do not be concerned!).
Without removing bread from oven, raise oven temperature to 210ºC, and bake ring for a further 25-30 minutes (or buns for a further 20 minutes) or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.
While the bread bakes, make the lemon icing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until smooth.
Turn bread out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before drizzling with lemon icing. Serve buns warm and fresh from the oven with butter (or toasted the next day).