I was recently told about Guernsey Gache, which is a yeast based bake, with sultanas and chopped mixed peel. I looked at a few recipes for that and decided that the resultant bake would be denser than I like for a bread bake. So I decided that I would make a sultana bread using the recipe I previously used for a milk bread.
The process is quite simple and doesn’t require a lot of kneading of the dough. It does take a little while to make though as you have to wait for be dough to prove a couple of times. Adding the sultanas and mixed peel to the recipe didn’t affect the bake, and certainly provided a wonderful flavour to what was already a nice loaf.
So I was very pleased with how the bread turned out and I have already enjoyed it just with butter and then I toasted a slice too and that tasted great as well.
Sultana Bread
Ingredients:
- 300ml whole milk
- 80ml cold water
- 12g fast action yeast
- 500g stong white flour
- 5g salt
- 20g caster sugar
- 60g softened butter
- 300g sultanas
- 50g chopped mixed peel
Method:
- Heat the milk to almost boiling point and pour into a bowl.
- Add the cold water to help cool the milk down.
- When the milk has cooled to a gentle lukewarm(I had mine at 43C/110F) sprinkle the yeast over it and add a teaspoon of the sugar.
- Stir the mixture and set aside for 5 minutes, to activate the yeast.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, salt and remaining sugar.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture.
- Use a spatula to stir everything together.
- Once all the mixture has come together cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 15 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and add the butter to the dough mixture.
- Use your hands to mix it all together, giving a fairly vigorous knead for about one minute.
- Very lightly oil the work surface and tip the dough onto it.
- Knead for again to ensure the butter is mixed in thoroughly and then flatten the dough into a circle.
- Sprinkle the mixed peel and the sultanas onto the dough and fold it in on itself.
- Knead the dough until the fruit is evenly distributed throughout.
- Roll the dough into a ball.
- Grease the bowl and place the dough in it.
- Cover with plastic wrap again and leave to rise for an hour, kneading for 20-30 seconds twice during the hour.
- Butter a 2lb loaf tin.
- Tip the dough out onto the work surface and shape. Either divide in two and form into balls and place them side by side in the tin, or form into a single sausage shape and place in the tin.
- Cover and allow to prove until the dough has increased in size by about 50%(mine took 45 minutes)
- As the dough proves preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
- With a sharp knife slice the length of the dough about .5 inch deep.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the top has browned nicely.
- Remove and tip the loaf out onto a wire rack.
- Tap the bottom to make sure there is a hollow sound(if not hollow sounding bake for a little longer).
- Allow the loaf to cool before slicing.
I like the bread banana
Yes Banana bread is good.
How many days can the cake last?
If you store it in an airtight container it will last about 5 days.