Hamdi Saidani Mary Berry Bara Brith is a traditional Welsh tea bread popular for its moist, chewy texture and lack of added fat. Ideally, the dried fruit should be soaked in hot tea and sugar overnight to plump up the fruit and dissolve the sugar for the perfect batter consistency.
Jump to RecipeMary Berry Bara Brith Ingredients
- 375g (13oz) mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants)
- 250g (9oz) light muscovado sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 300ml (½ pint) strong hot tea (made with 2-3 tea bags)
- 300g (10oz) self-raising flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tsp mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- Butter, for serving
How To Make Mary Berry Bara Brith
- Soak the fruit: The night before you want to bake, place the mixed dried fruit and the light muscovado sugar into a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot strong tea. Stir well to ensure the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Overnight rest: Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or cling film and leave it at room temperature overnight (or for at least 6–8 hours). This allows the fruit to absorb the liquid and plump up, which is crucial for the moisture of the loaf.
- Prep the oven: The next day, preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C Fan/Gas 3). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
- Mix the batter: Remove the cover from the bowl. The fruit should have absorbed most of the liquid, but some syrup will remain. Add the beaten egg, self-raising flour, and mixed spice to the bowl.
- Combine ingredients: Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is completely incorporated and the fruit is evenly distributed. Do not overbeat; just mix until combined.
- Bake: Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Check for doneness: The loaf is cooked when it is dark golden brown, risen, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly before the center is cooked, cover it loosely with foil for the last 30 minutes.
- Cool: Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- The Tea: Use a standard strong breakfast tea (like English Breakfast) for the traditional flavor. For a floral twist, you can use Earl Grey, which adds a lovely bergamot note.
- Flour substitution: If you don’t have self-raising flour, use 300g of plain flour and add 3 level teaspoons of baking powder.
- Patience pays off: While you can eat it immediately, Bara Brith gets stickier and better in flavor if you wrap it in greaseproof paper and keep it in an airtight tin for 2 days before slicing.
- No Fat: Because there is no butter in the cake, it relies entirely on the soaked fruit for moisture. Do not skip the soaking step, or the bread will be dry and hard.
What To Serve With Mary Berry Bara Brith
This loaf is traditionally served simply.
- Salted Butter: Sliced thickly and spread generously.
- Caerphilly Cheese: A traditional Welsh cheese pairing.
- Afternoon Tea: The perfect dunking cake.
- Marmalade: Orange marmalade complements the tea flavor.
How To Store Mary Berry Bara Brith
- Store: Store the cooled loaf wrapped in parchment paper and foil, or in an airtight tin. It keeps exceptionally well for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Wrap the loaf (or individual slices) tightly in cling film and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Mary Berry Bara Brith Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 260kcal
- Protein: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fat: 1g
- Saturates: 0g
- Sugar: 45g
- Salt: 0.3g
Nutrition information is estimated per slice (based on 10-12 slices).
FAQs
Can I use fresh fruit?
No, this recipe relies on the high sugar concentration of dried fruit to hold the moisture. Fresh fruit would make the batter too wet.
Why did my cake sink?
Sinking usually happens if the oven door was opened too early or if the batter wasn’t cooked through in the center. Because it’s a wet batter, it needs a long, slow bake.
Is this vegan?
It is vegetarian, but contains egg. To make it vegan, replace the egg with a u0022flax eggu0022 (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water), as the loaf doesn’t rely heavily on the egg for structure.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Marmalade Loaf Cake Recipe
- Mary Berry Lemon And Coconut Cake Recipe
- Mary Berry Lime And Coconut Cake Recipe
Mary Berry Bara Brith Recipe
Course: Side DishCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
servings15
minutes1
hour45
minutes260
kcalA classic Welsh tea bread made by soaking dried fruit in hot tea and sugar overnight, resulting in a fat-free, moist, and sticky loaf.
Ingredients
375g mixed dried fruit
250g light muscovado sugar
300ml strong hot tea
300g self-raising flour
1 egg
1 tsp mixed spice
Directions
- Place fruit and sugar in a bowl; pour over hot tea.
- Cover and soak overnight (or 8 hours).
- Preheat oven to 160°C and line a loaf tin.
- Add egg, flour, and spice to the soaked fruit mixture.
- Stir well until combined.
- Pour into tin and bake for 1.5 to 1.75 hours.
- Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then on a rack.
- Serve sliced with butter.
Notes
- Muscovado sugar is recommended over white sugar because its molasses content gives the bread a rich toffee flavor and a darker, more traditional color.
- This recipe technically contains no added fat (butter/oil), making it a healthier cake option, though it is traditionally served with a thick layer of butter on each slice.
- If the fruit mix looks very dry after soaking (if your kitchen is warm), you can add a splash of milk or extra tea when mixing the batter to ensure it isn’t too stiff.