Cover mixed dried fruit and apples with boiling water in saucepan and soak overnight.
Next morning, cook until fruit is quite soft, about 15 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
Chop or cut up fruit.
Soften yeast in lukewarm water, add 1 Tbsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
Add milk.
Add 1 1/2 C flour to make a sponge and set aside until bubbles break on top.
Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
Add 1 C sugar and cream well.
Mix in beaten eggs.
Add the sponge, chopped fruits, salt, cinnamon, raisins, currants and nuts.
Beat in 3 cups flour.
Divide dough into fourths.
Take out 1/4 of the dough and knead on a floured pastry cloth or board adding enough flour to keep the dough soft but not sticky.
Continue doing this 3 more times until all the dough has been worked up, then knead it all together.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, take dough and run the top around the inside of the bowl, place it in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Knead lightly, divide into 4 portions and shape each into a loaf, place in greased loaf pans.
Cover and let rise until double.
Bake at 400? for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350? and bake 45 minutes longer or until done.
Ingredients:
12 ounces mixed dried fruit
8 ounces dried apples
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water ( 115? – 120?)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm scalded milk ( 115? – 120?)
1 1/2 cups flour, unsifted
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup currants
1 cup nuts, chopped,if desired
7 cups flour, more as needed
Steps/Methods:
Cover mixed dried fruit and apples with boiling water in saucepan and soak overnight.
Next morning, cook until fruit is quite soft, about 15 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
Chop or cut up fruit.
Soften yeast in lukewarm water, add 1 Tbsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
Add milk.
Add 1 1/2 C flour to make a sponge and set aside until bubbles break on top.
Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
Add 1 C sugar and cream well.
Mix in beaten eggs.
Add the sponge, chopped fruits, salt, cinnamon, raisins, currants and nuts.
Beat in 3 cups flour.
Divide dough into fourths.
Take out 1/4 of the dough and knead on a floured pastry cloth or board adding enough flour to keep the dough soft but not sticky.
Continue doing this 3 more times until all the dough has been worked up, then knead it all together.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, take dough and run the top around the inside of the bowl, place it in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Knead lightly, divide into 4 portions and shape each into a loaf, place in greased loaf pans.
Cover and let rise until double.
Bake at 400? for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350? and bake 45 minutes longer or until done.
