Fruited Muesli Bread

This is the first recipe that I've chosen from my latest bread making book, "the bread book" by Sara Lewis (a gift from my sister). The instructions given are really clear and easy to follow. She has given two options, either to make by hand or to make with a breadmaker. I chose to make it by hand instead, since the instructions seems easy enough, it doesn't require long kneading process, which I'm lazy at most of the time. However, this is baked in a 8" springform baking tin, there is no picture of this bread in the book, so I can only imagine that it will turned out looking very much like a cake. I thought of making it in a loaf pan instead, but since this is the first time that I'm trying a recipe from this book, I decided to follow it all the way. It turned out to be a lovely tasty bread, and it does look like a cake, at a glance! The texture is dense, soft and moist. The addition of dried cranberries and apricots makes this bread rather chewy and tasty. It can be eaten plain just as it is which is really nice or just spread it with a little butter. Will I be making this bread again? Yes, I will, when I feel like having a chewy, moist and tasty bread, I will definitely make this again.

Fruited Muesli Bread
(adapted from "the bread book" by Sara Lewis)
Ingredients :
475 gm (15 oz, 4-1/2 cups) strong white flour
2 tbsp milk powder
3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
100 gm (3-1/2 oz, 1/2 cup) fruit muesli
1-1/4 tsp fast-action dried yeast
300 ml (1/2 pint, 1-1/4 cups) water (I only used about 250ml)
100 gm (3-1/2 oz, 1/2 cup) ready-to-eat dried apricots
50 gm (2 oz, 1/4 cup) dried cranberries

To Finish :
1 egg yolk, to glaze
3 tbsp muesli, to decorate (I use rolled oats instead)

To make by hand :

1. Put the flour, milk powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the muesli and yeast then gradually mix in enough warm water to mix to a soft dough.
2. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic then put back into the bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Tip the dough out on to the work surface, knead well then gradually work in the chopped apricots and cranberries.
4. Shape the dough into a round then press into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) springform tin. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for 30 minutes or until the dough is at the top of the tin.
5. Remove the clingfilm, brush the top of the bread with the egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with extra muesli and bake in a preheated oven, 200C (400F), Gas Mark 6, for 35-40 minutes until well risen and the bread sounds hollow when tapped with the fingertips. Cover with foil after 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
6. Holding the tin with oven gloves, loosen the bread with a palette knife. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
   

To make with a breadmaker

1. Take the loaf tin out of the bread machine, fit the kneader blade then add the measured cold water, milk powder, butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
2. Spoon the flour and muesli over the top then make a slight dip and sprinkle in the yeast. (Make a slight dip into the centre of the flour making sure that the yeast will not come into contact with the liquid. This is especially important of you are using the delay timer facility. Measure the yeast carefully and sprinkle it into the dip).
   
3. Insert the tin into the bread machine. Shut the lid and set to dough or basic dough. Press start.
4. At the end of the programme, lift the tin out of the machine, tip the dough out on to a floured work surface and continue as step 3, above.

Tip : This bread can be mixed and baked in a bread machine fitted with a 2.5 litre (4 pint) bread tin, but halve the amount of fruit and add it at the raisin beep instead.