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Slices of Lincolnshire plum bread on a plate. One slice has been buttered.
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5 from 4 votes

Lincolnshire Plum Bread

Lincolnshire plum bread (Lincolnshire plum loaf) is an enriched bread heaving with raisins, sultanas and currants. Try a slice of this dried fruit bread slathered in butter, with a chunk of cheese or toasted.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Rising & proving5 hours
Total Time6 hours 5 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: British, East Midlands
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 12
Calories: 369kcal

Equipment

  • 2 x 1lb loaf tins

Ingredients

  • 200 g Raisins
  • 150 g Sultanas
  • 100 g Currants
  • 2 Tea bags (black tea such as English breakfast)
  • 450 g Strong bread flour (white)
  • 120 g Butter or lard
  • 3 teaspoons Fast action dried yeast (see notes)
  • 75 g Caster sugar
  • 120 ml Whole milk
  • 2 Eggs large, free-range
  • ½ teaspoon Ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • A little beaten egg

Instructions

  • Put the dried fruit into a bowl with 2 teabags and cover with freshly boiled water. Stir after 10 minutes and leave to soak for several hours (or overnight).
  • Rub the fat into the flour.
  • Stir in the sugar, spices, dried yeast and salt.
  • Heat the milk to lukewarm then make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour it in. Add the eggs.
  • Use a blunt knife to beat the liquid briefly to break up the eggs, then mix the liquid into the dry ingredients to form a dough.
  • Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead firmly for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Put into a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size (typically 2-3 hours but it may take more/ less time on cold/ hot days).
  • Once the dough is in the bowl drain the fruit from the liquid – tip it into a large sieve. Leave to drain while the dough rises.
  • When the dough has doubled in size tip the fruit onto a clean tea towel and blot to remove excess moisture.
  • Knock back the dough then spread it out into a large rectangle. Scatter the fruit over the top, then fold it up. Knead for around 3 minutes until the fruit is well distributed. (The dough will get a little sticky and some of the fruit will fall out. This is normal. Just keep pushing the fruit back into the dough).
  • Line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with parchment then divide the dough in half and shape each piece to fit into the tins.
  • Cover the tins loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for another 2 hours until the dough looks well risen (again, exact timing will depend on how warm/ cold the room is).
  • Meanwhile, pop a baking sheet into the oven and preheat it to 190Cc/ 375F/ GM 5.
  • When ready to bake brush the top of each loaf lightly with a little beaten egg, then slide it onto the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes.
  • Check the internal temperature of the loaf with a food thermometer. It should register 95C/ 203F. If it is below this temperature, re-cover the loaves with the foil, bake a little longer and check again.
  • Once fully baked, take the loaves out of the oven and let rest in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove each loaf from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

  • Always use digital kitchen scales and grams for the best results. I do not provide cup measurements as this is an inferior and highly inaccurate method of weighing out ingredients for baking.
  • Ensure that you use room temperature butter & eggs and that the milk is lukewarm when added. Using cold or chilled ingredients will extend the rising time considerably and enriched doughs such as this one already take quite some time to rise compared to regular bread dough.
  • Knead the bread vigorously for a full 10 minutes by hand for the best results – the crumb is so much better as a result.
  • Set a timer, so you can be sure you knead for long enough. The worst crime you can commit is under-kneading this dough.
  • Don’t use a stand mixer for the kneading. I’m normally an advocate of this energy-saving technique, but not in this instance. The loaf seems to hold together so much better when kneaded by hand rather than by machine (sorry).
  • Don’t forget to drain and blot the fruit once it has soaked in the tea. If you don’t do this then the dough will become too sticky to handle.
  • Don’t forget to cover the loaf partway through the baking time to avoid burning the fruit poking through the top of the dough.
  • Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the loaves. They are sufficiently cooked when the temperature reaches 95C/ 203F.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg