Recipes from Wales 4 - Breaking Bread

Featured Recipes: Bara Brith (Currant or Speckled Bread) and Old Welsh Gingerbread

Bread has long been a staple in the human diet. Whether white, rye or wheat, flavored with nuts or fruit, we eat bread all the time. And why should Wales be any different? But the welsh are known for their love of food, and this weeks selection of recipes are among the favorites here in Wales.

Bara Brith (Currant or Speckled Bread
Ingredients: 2 lbs. Flour, 1 oz yeast, 8 oz brown sugar, 8 oz lard, 6 oz sultanas or raisins, 6 oz currants, 4 oz candied peel, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pudding spice , warm milk

Mix together yeast, a bit of sugar and the warm milk. Rub the lard into the flour and ten add the rest of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mix. Knead into soft dough. Cover and allow to rise to twice it size in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. Turn on a floured board, put into greased tins and bake in a moderate oven. Slice thinly and butter.

Old Welsh Gingerbread
Ingredients: 3/4 lb flour, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda, 1 teaspoon crème of tartar, 6 oz demerara sugar, ¼ lb butter, 2 oz chopped candied peel, 6 oz black treacle warmed slightly and mixed with 1 pint of milk .

The bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar are added to the flour and well sifted. Rub butter into flour, add sugar and peel, and mix with the treacle and milk. Bake in a greased tin for 1-½ hours in a warm oven.

Get baking. I promise you will love these!