Bread Story
Bara Brith means "speckled bread," and one slice explains why it's been a Welsh favourite for generations. Packed with juicy tea-soaked fruit, warm spices and a rich buttery crumb, it's somewhere between a loaf and a fruit cake. Toast it, butter it generously and you'll quickly understand why the Welsh have never stopped baking it.
You’ll Need
Makes 1 medium loaf
For the Fruit
250g mixed dried fruit
250ml hot strong tea
50g soft light brown sugar
For the Dough
300g self-raising flour
150g strong white bread flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
50g melted butter
To Finish
Extra melted butter for brushing
Optional but Dangerous
Salted butter
Welsh honey
Mature Cheddar
Orange marmalade
Method
Place the dried fruit, hot tea and brown sugar into a bowl. Stir well and leave to soak for at least 2 hours,
preferably overnight.
Preheat your air fryer to 165°C.
In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour, strong white bread flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and
baking powder.
Add the soaked fruit along with any remaining tea, followed by the egg and melted butter.
Mix until everything is fully combined into a thick batter.
Spoon the mixture into a lined loaf tin that fits comfortably inside your air fryer.
Smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
Air fry for 40–45 minutes, loosely covering with foil after 25 minutes if the loaf is colouring too quickly.
Test with a skewer; it should come out clean when the loaf is fully cooked.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Brush lightly with melted butter while still warm for a beautifully soft finish.