Brazilian Fruit Bread (Egg less)

Lassitude of the waning monsoon has been a great blessing here. It has resulted in blossoms and blooms, butterflies have been spotted in great numbers and greatest varieties ever, profuse fruition of the berries and wild fruits have made the countryside a haven for birds.

Good weather also invokes all kinds of foodie urges. Every day while beating our coffee in the afternoon, my sweet tooth beckons the baker in me to bake something sweet to accompany our already extra sweet coffee. Suddenly the promise made to bake cakes only when the occasion demands to keep the burgeoning paunches and expanding waistlines in check, reins the soaring desire and then the hunt begins for something less sweet and less buttery, a healthy way to satiate sweet cravings.  And my search leads me to Brazilian Fruit Bread. Original Recipe appears in “The Festive Bread Book,” by Kathy Cutler, while I adapted the recipe from Artisan Bread Baking

The recipe has been tweaked and changed to suit, butter has been replaced by olive oil, egg has been omitted and figs and almonds have been added.

This is how I made The Brazilian Fruit Bread. You can see the original recipe here. 

Brazilian Fruit Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup milk (plus a tablespoon more if needed)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg powder

1 tablespoon raisins

2 figs chopped finely

5 dried apricots chopped finely

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

5 almonds chopped finely

Milk wash

2 tablespoons sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm milk

Method

Heat milk till very hot. Add sugar and stir till sugar dissolves. Let it cool.

Toss the chopped fruits and nuts in one tablespoon of flour.

Whisk together remaining flour and salt. Add olive oil. Mix well.

Add powdered cinnamon and nutmeg to flour.

Add instant yeast to the luke warm milk. Cover and keep for 15 minutes. It should turn frothy

Add milk mix to flour and knead for 6 to 8 minutes to get soft dough.

Add more warm milk if the dough feels tight.

Stretch the dough in the kneading plate and sprinkle dry fruits and nuts.

Knead for another 5 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Knead again for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the dough into three parts.

Make a braid as shown in the picture. Cover and keep it to rise for one hour.

Coat the risen braid with milk wash using a brush

Bake in a pre heated oven at 190 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cover with a foil if the bread turns brown and there is still some time left.

Remove from the oven and cool in the rack. Slice when cold.

Submitted for Yeastspotting