Currant Bread Recipe

Ingredients for Currant Bread:

• 1½ lbs (675 g) strong white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• ½ oz (14 g) fresh yeast or ¼ (7 g) dried yeast
• ¾ pint (400 ml) full or semi-skimmed milk
• 2 oz (56 g) butter or margarine
• 4 oz (112 g) currants

Method for Currant Bread:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, rub in the fat, add the currants and leave in a warm place.
2. Cream the yeast with the caster sugar and add to it ¼ pint (150 ml) warmed milk. Leave until frothy.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast mixture and enough warmed milk to make a soft dough.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Put into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
6. Turn onto a floured surface, knock back with your hand or fist to remove any air pockets and then divide into two pieces and  knead each piece again for a few minutes.
7. Put into warmed, greased and lightly floured tins, cover with a clean cloth and leave to prove until the dough just reaches the tops of the tins.
8. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven set at Gas Mark 6 (400°F/200°C) for about 40 minutes.
9. Turn out of the tins and brush immediately with sugar syrup.
10. Leave on a wire tray to cool.

This Currant Bread Recipe makes 2 x 1 lb (450 g) loaves.

If it does get a little stale, makes a wonderful toast especially with butter and jam. Health? We’ve heard of it!