"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast starts to activate (gets foamy).
Butter the sides and bottom of a bread pan or spray with a cooking oil.
Cover with a damp, lightweight cloth or wet paper towel and set in a warm location to rise.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. (For high altitude baking). At sea level, preheat at 350° F.
When the bread has risen and the oven is preheated, carefully move the bread to the oven.
At high altitude, bake for 15 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 350° F. Bake another 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190° F or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the bread. At sea level, bake for 45 minutes at 350° F or until the internal temperature is 190° F.
Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the bread pan to loosen the bread from the sides. Turn upside down (it’s still hot so use pot holders), and remove from the bread pan. Set on a rack to cool. Let cool before cutting!
Honey – If you use candied fruits like I did, then 1 Tbsp. honey is probably all you need. However, with dried fruit or if you want the bread a little sweeter, you might want to increase the honey to 2 Tbsp.
Dried or Candied Fruit – One of the nice things about this fruit and nut bread is you can use pretty much whatever you have. A mix of three different flavors is quite nice, so just open up the pantry and refrigerator and use what you have on hand.
Nuts – Again, use what you have on hand and whatever complements the fruit. For breads, you can’t beat pecans and walnuts, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use pinon or almond either, or possibly even a few sunflower seeds.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen