(Ed. Note: I'm going to cut this recipe in half and try to adapt it to my bread machine.)
Ed Tantsits writes:
I noticed in the last few newsletters that there were some good recipes listed of which I am familiar with. Attached is my favorite fruit bread recipe my grandmother always made for the Christmas holidays. As you are aware, all the old timers just used a little of this and that and never followed a recipe. My wife was with my grandmother many times and measured this and that to come up with this recipe. My grandmother called the bread 'Glatzen Brot'. I do not know the spelling. (Ed. Glattzen = sweet, Brot = bread.) I call it 'Austrian Fruit Bread.'
(from Ed Tantsits - recipe from Grandmother Theresa Potzmann Tantsits)
- 3 envelopes dry yeast
- 1-1/4 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups rye flour, sifted
- 4 cups flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup whiskey (Ed. try brandy)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 box each of prunes, figs and dates, cut up
- 1/2 lb. walnuts, broken up
- 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained, cut up
- Mix yeast, warm water, sugar and salt in a small bowl and let rise.
- Mix flours in a large bowl. When mixed, make a well, add the yeast mixture and mix only a small amount of flour. Let rise 1/2 hour.
- Mix honey in saucepan with 1 cup water. Heat and keep warm. Add 3/4 cup whiskey.
- Add honey mixture and mix all of yeast, honey mixtures and the rest of flour by hand. Add 1 cup water. Knead well. (This is a very soft and sticky batter. Hands will not come clean.)
- Add fruit and nuts. Mix by hand. Pat down and let rise 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Grease and flour Pans (will make 1 bundt pan and 1 small angel food pan).
- Flour a baking board well. Divide dough in 2 parts. Dust dough on all sides. Do not knead. Place in pans. Let rise 1 hour.
- Bake at 350°F. Bundt pan 1 1/2 hours. Small pan 1 hr. 15 min.
- Let set in pans 15 min. Remove. Brush all sides and bottom with a little whiskey (use a pastry brush). Cool. Serve.
- Bread may also be frozen.