Wings of life bread

Years ago I came across this recipe in a newspaper; it is a very nutritious sweet bread and it looks like a rich fruit cake but has a unique taste to it. In fact is a soda type bread with lost of things added to it. If you can get hold of those lovely Hunza apricots just use them and save the kernels to eat later like nuts. They are truly excellent. I usually make it with the kefir.

Yield

3 loaves

Ingredients

200º C, 400º F, gas mark 6

Start by cooking the apricots in as little water as possible. When soft drain off and save the cooking liquor to mash the bananas in. Add the raisins and walnuts to the cooked apricots and reserve. Grease very well 3 loaf tins. In a big bowl mix the flours together with the salt and soda and stir in the honey and butter and then the bananas blended in the cooking liquid; add the apricot/ raisin/ walnut mix and work the dough quickly. Add the kefir slowly so that you end up with a dough just moist and homogeneous. Quickly divide the dough in 3 parts and pat it in the prepared tins. Place in the very hot oven and bake at 200º C for 30 minutes, then a further 20 minutes or so at 150º C. Do not let it burn, when it sounds hollow it is ready. Leave to cool outside the tins at room temperature.

It will keep fairly well but if it gets a bit dry then serve toasted with butter or soft cheese.

Maria Fremlin, 21 February 2001

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