Wrapped in foil and tied with Christmas ribbon, this loaf makes an ideal gift during the Advent and Christmas season.

Preparation time 1 hour plus overnight soaking plus 21⁄4 hours resting time
Cooking time 1 hour
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients for fruit bread

22⁄3 cups (200 g) dried pears
2⁄3 cup (125 g) dried figs
1⁄3 cup (60 g) fresh dates
13⁄4 cups (250 g) hazelnuts (filberts)
1⁄3 cup (60 g) each of candied lemon and candied orange peel
1⁄2 cup (60 g) sultanas (golden raisins)
6 tablespoons pear brandy
1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and mixed spice (allspice)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄4 teaspoon each of fennel seeds and aniseed
2⁄3 cup (100 g) wholemeal (whole-wheat) rye flour
1⁄3 cup (50 g) wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour
1⁄2 cup (125 ml) milk
10 g dry (powdered) yeast
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄4 cup (30 g) blanched almonds
2 tablespoons milk, extra

Preparation method for fruit bread

1. Place dried fruit in a pan and cover with water. Cover; leave to soak overnight. Boil the fruit for 20 minutes; drain.  Cut dried fruit into medium-sized pieces.

2. Discard the date seeds and cut the dates into strips lengthwise. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts; finely chop the candied peel.

3. Mix all the fruit in a bowl with sultanas, pear brandy, spices, fennel seeds and aniseed. Cover and set aside.

4. Mix the flours in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Heat milk to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over 2 tbsp milk; leave for 5 minutes to dissolve, stirring once.

5. Pour dissolved yeast into well; cover with a little flour. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

6. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the remaining milk, butter and lemon juice to flour mixture. Knead to a smooth dough; it should not be sticky. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place for around 11⁄2 hours, until doubled in size.

7. Knead fruit mixture into dough. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and shape into a loaf. Let rise for another 30 minutes.

8. Grease a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

9. Decorate loaf with blanched almonds and brush top with a little of the extra milk. Bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 1 hour, brushing with milk several times during the cooking.

Top Tip
This loaf tastes best if the flavours mature for a while. Wrap it in foil after cooling and store for 1 week.