This fruit loaf was traditionally served to Christmas callers with a glass of wine. How civilised was that? Let’s bring back these old customs, I say.
Ingredients
- Just over 1 oz (30g) of fresh yeast (or a sachet of dried if you can’t get fresh)
- Quarter pint (150 ml) tepid milk
- 8 oz (225g) butter
- 1½ lb (700g) strong plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 8 oz (225g) each of currants and sultanas
- 8 oz (225g) sugar
- 3 oz (85g) mixed chopped peel
- 2 level teaspoons mixed spice or cinnamon
Method
- Dissolve yeast in the tepid milk, stir, and leave it somewhere warm to foam
- Rub the butter into the sifted flour, then add the sugar and spices
- When the yeast is ready (approx. 15-25 minutes) add it to the mixture, then add the beaten eggs
- Cover the mixture and leave it in a warm place for up to 2 hours to rise
- Then punch it down, add the fruit and peel and mix these well into the dough
- Put the dough into a lightly greased 2lb (900 g) loaf tin. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or plastic bag and leave it to rise again in a warm place for about the same length of time as before
- Cook in the centre of a moderate oven (180C, 375F, gas mark 5) for 1 hour
- Glaze the top with melted honey or syrup.
Source: Theodora Fitzgibbon (1979) A Taste of Yorkshire in Food and Pictures. Pan Books.
2 Responses to Yule Loaf
Thankyou for this great resource i came looking for English Pork Pies that i have wanted to make forever and came across the Yule Loaf and have shared the link to your page with a facebook bread page here in Australia “Freo Food Bread” as well as another in America “Bread Making For Beginners”. I am sure we will see some renditions of this bread for this coming Christmas form our bread baking enthusiasts. i love the tradition of Yule.
Thanks Derek, and a Happy Christmas to you all in Oz. Glad to see that Yorkshire cookery is thriving down under as well as here in God’s Own.