Malted Prune Loaf
All the credit for this recipe goes to Dan Lepard. I have to confess that I did make a few changes as we all know cooking and baking are subjective and I have changed the original recipe to accommodate my taste.
I found the original recipe very rich and the treacle was a bit too much for me, especially when the loaf matured after one day, it was very strong. Nevertheless it’s a superb recipe and I love Dans reference to this recipe being the original British “energy bar”.
We particularly enjoyed it toasted for breakfast with a thin scraping of slightly salted butter and a cup of ‘builders’ tea. It’s the perfect loaf to start my busy and hectic day.
When I first read the recipe I was baffled about malt extract as I had neither heard of nor used it, so I was slightly unnerved as I did not no where to get it or what I could use instead. I was determined to make this recipe as it was meant to be, so after a bit of internet research I realised it’s a normal regularly used ingredient. I found that the Julian Graves stores stock malt extract so I trotted off to our tiny town centre and to my sheer delight I found a jar.
Dan’s recipe says that you can use raisins or prunes, I decided on prunes as I’m not a great fan of raisins. I also chose to use St Peters golden ale and Woodbridge Mills whole meal flour that I had bought from the Snape farmers market last month. I could nearly call this loaf a Suffolk Power loaf, I wonder if Dan would approve ?
I liked the tip of lining the loaf tin with oats, I thought it gave my loaf the perfect professional touch. It looked well rounded off and also added to the final taste.
I feel less guilty about indulging in this loaf as it’s got all the makings of a healthy product, shall we just turn a blind eye to the butter and golden syrup!?
As I found this loaf keeps well and after a day or two it’s even more delicious. I have frozen a few leftover slices and it comes in very handy to be toasted for breakfast.
This malted prune loaf will be lovely in a picnic basket at the seaside as it gives everyone extra energy to enjoy a swim in the sea.
- 100g Woodbridge Mills whole meal flour
- 250g strong white bread flour
- Large pinch of salt
- 15g baking powder
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 75g unsalted butter
- 125g golden syrup
- 10g malt extract
- 75ml St Peters Golden Ale
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 150g chopped prunes
Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a 2lb loaf tin and dust it with rolled oats.
Weigh the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into the bowl of a mixer and attach the paddle attachment, mix for a few seconds, add the diced prunes and egg whilst preparing the liquids.
In a small saucepan heat the butter, golden syrup and malt until the butter is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the ale.
Slowly incorporate the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, mix until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle more rolled oats over the top, bake in the preheated oven for 40 - 45 minutes. Insert a metal skewer, if it comes out clean the loaf is cooked, if not then return the loaf to the oven and bake until cooked.
Leave the loaf to cool in the tin.
Serves 8 /10
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Made it. Ate it. Loved it.