Barm brack at Dunham Massey

I went to a National Trust property, Dunham Massey on Sunday and with a cup of tea I had some barm brack; I realised how much I liked it and what a long time since I ate any, let alone made any! Maybe I will make some tomorrow… here is a yeasted recipe:

Barm Brack

• ¼pt  tepid milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp  yeast
• 8 oz plain flour
• 1 very generous or 2 tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 oz butter
• 6 oz  mixed dried fruit
• 2 oz  tbsp caster sugar

1. add the yeast and teaspoonful of sugar to the milk and leave to froth
2. sieve the dry ingredients together (but not the fruit)
3. rub in the butter
4. make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the yeast mixture
5. add the egg
6. beat for about 10 minutes until you have a really nice dough forms
7.  add the fruit and work in by hand so the dough is well  kneaded
8. leave in a  covered bowl and let  it rise in a warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in size
9. knock back and knead  lightly and put in a greased 7 inch cake tin
10.  leave it to rise for half an hour
11. . put into the oven at gas mark 6, 400°F, 200°C for 45 minutes
12. once it is baked you can be glazed the top 2 tsp sugar dissolved in 3 tsp boiling water to make a syrup

I wonder if I have any yeast …

The featured image is of a mill at Dunham Massey, it’s four hundred years old and was used to saw wood… not grind flour!