Sourdough Fruit Loaf

The Sourdough Fruit Loaf, left, with a Spelt Loaf

Using a leaven based on Andrew Whitley's "Cromarty Cob" it's possible to make a great variety of sourdough breads - build a production leaven with part of the intended dough from your rye starter, then add the remaining ingredients to create the final dough.

When your bread is a more complex one with fruit or other additives, the simple rule is to leave them for the final dough. They will probably impede the leaven, and are more likely to be forgiving if added later in the piece.

This Sourdough Fruit loaf is a free adaptation from Whitley's Fruit and Nut Leaven bread, a richer and heavier product. Mine is intended to be a sort of artisanal riff on the old Australia Raisin Bread or Fruit Loaf, perfect toasted with butter for breakfast (or supper, or...). It is simple to make, with a fairly fine texture or crumb and great flavour.

It involves building a leaven first - see the entry here for how to do that. The quantity needed here is less than that recipe, so try proportions of 75g rye starter, 50g wholemeal flour, 50g bread flour, 50 g water - or use the whole 300g of the original for a faster result.

Ingredients
200g production leaven (part of a 'Cromarty Cob' leaven)
200g wholemeal flour
200g strong white flour
5g salt
190g water
100g dried fruit (raisins, currants, peel etc) soaked in 50g warm water at least an hour earlier, or ideally when leaven is prepared

Method
Combine flours and salt. Add water to leaven and stir to disperse, then add half the flour mixture and fruit and stir to combine. Add remaining flour to make a stiff dough, kneading until relatively elastic.
Like many sourdoughs this will be relatively wet, so resist the tempation to add additional flour; wet your hands if sticky.

Leave for an hour if you can - this will make the dough easier to handle. Press the dough gently into a rectangle, then fold it into the centre from all four sides in turn - this is a rudimentary "stretch and fold" that this fruity dough should tolerate. Leave for another hour, press into a rectangle again and roll into a cylinder, shaping a little to get it right for a greased loaf tin.

Prove 3 hours or so, until nearly doubled; this should retain some potential for oven 'spring'. Slash top before placing in very hot oven 10 minutes, then reducing heat to 200C/400F or so for 30 minutes more. If it is getting too dark on top near the end, cover with a piece of baking paper. Turn out and cool before slicing.