Gluten Free spiced fruit sourdough

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The scent of toasted raisin toast wafting through the house evokes strong memories from my childhood – a rare treat indeed.

In the thriving cafe culture of my hometown, Melbourne, Australia, artisan fruit breads are commonplace on cafe breakfast menus. These breads always contain large pieces of various dried fruits and are thickly cut. They are often served with cultured butter and chunky, homemade jams or marmalade. They always look mouth-watering, and I must admit to pangs of jealousy when Myles orders them.

As any coeliac knows, finding good gluten-free bread products can be challenging, especially when it comes to specialty breads. So, for the past six months or so, I've been experimenting with turning my gluten-free sourdough into a mouth-watering spiced fruit sourdough loaf. I've found that I achieve a better loaf if I pour off any hooch (the liquid that collects on top of your starter) before I make the sourdough sponge. Hooch is the alcohol produced as the wild yeast in your starter ferments. It's a sign that your starter is hungry. The more frequently you feed the starter, the less hooch is produced, leading to a better rise in your dough but a less sour flavour. It's all a balancing act.

There's no right or wrong selection of dried fruits; it's all based on what you have in the pantry and your family's preferences. In this recipe, I've used dried apricots, dried figs and sultanas. Sometimes, I add dried cranberries or blueberries for a change. The addition of xanthan gum is necessary when adding the dried fruit to ensure the fruit bread maintains its shape despite the additional weight of the fruit.

Proving the dough is an inexact science unless you have a proving cabinet that can regulate the temperature and humidity to yield perfect results every time. It's important not to leave the dough to prove for more than 90 minutes, or it will dry out. Even if it hasn't risen to the top of the tin, bake it when you reach the 90-minute mark. It will continue to rise in the oven.

The basis of this recipe is my sourdough bread.

Makes 1 loaf

• 1 basic sourdough mixture

• 30 g dried apricots

• 70 g dried figs

• 100 g dried sultanas

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Day 1

Prepare sourdough sponge as per standard recipe. Let flavours develop overnight.

Day 2

Follow standard recipe up to putting dough into the prepared bread tin.

Cut the apricots and figs into thirds.

Add all dried fruit and spices to the dough and mix well.

Grease the tin well with butter. Pour in the dough and smooth out the top.

Place in a warm spot to prove until risen to the top of the tin (maximum 90 minutes).

Preheat oven to 210°C fan/230°C. Place an empty tin in the bottom of the oven to heat up.

Gently place the loaf into the oven. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with cold water to create a superb crust. Pour boiling water into the hot empty tin to generate steam. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin. Resist the temptation to slice the loaf until it has completely cooled.

Updated July 2023