Bara Brith

Bara brith, which literally means 'speckled bread' is a tea-time classic. It seems that almost every Welsh town and every family has their own recipe. This is mine

2 tea bags
330 ml (11 fl oz) boiling water
225 g (8 oz) mixed dried fruit
170 g (6 oz) self-raising white flour
170 g (6 oz) self-raising wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
55 g (2 oz) light muscovado sugar
1 egg, beaten

• Place the tea bags in a heatproof measuring jug and pour in the boiling water. 
• Stir, then leave to infuse for 3–4 minutes. 
• Put the dried fruit in a bowl.
•  Remove the tea bags, squeezing them over the jug, and pour the tea over the fruit. 
• Cover and set aside to soak for at least 5 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 160ºC (325ºF, gas mark 3).
• Grease and line a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin. 
• Sift the white and wholemeal flours, baking powder and spice into a bowl, tipping in any bran left in the sieve. 
• Stir in the sugar.
• Pour in the soaked dried fruit, scraping in all the liquid from the bowl, and add the beaten egg. 
• Lightly mix the egg and fruit together, then stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. 
• The mixture should be soft enough to drop easily off the spoon. 
• Add 2–3 tsp more hot water if needed.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly. 
• Bake for about 1 1/4 hours or until the loaf is well risen and firm, cracked along the middle and browned on top. 
• Cover loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking if it is becoming too brown.
• Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
• This teabread tastes particularly good if it is left for 1–2 days before eating.