Apple Cider Bread with Currants (and a Crapload of Melty Butter)

Technically, if you do these without all the butter and honey on top, they're vegan. They're also soft, and chewy, and taste slightly of apples. You might like to add cinnamon, or raisins, or nuts, if you're so inclined. But the very, very best part of this recipe - which derives from this recipe - is that you can use any cider, any flour, any additions, anytime, anywhere. 

I've started making beer or cider bread again in the midst of long working weeks away from home because it requires so few ingredients. Perfect for travel! Perfect for fieldwork! Perfect for breakfast when things aren't going quite right. Or for when they are.

Or any random Wednesday, really. 

Cheers, friends! More soon :)

Amanda xx

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Apple Cider Bread with Currants

This recipe goes by ratios - but don't be afraid! It just means you can make it even without proper measuring implements. Any old cup will do. And as for serving numbers? The more you make, the more you'll have to eat. It's ok, though. This bread keeps well for a few days.

Here it is:

5 volumetric units self-raising flour (or regular flour with 1 tsp aluminium-free baking powder or baking soda per cup) + 3 volumetric units cider + a dash of sweetener + a pinch of sea salt + a handful of dried fruit or nuts 

Ingredients

That's everything! This time, I used 2.5 cups spelt flour (*with 1 tsp aluminium-free baking powder to make it "self-raising") + 1.5 cups of apple cider lurking in the fridge (1 can) + a pinch of sea salt + a tablespoon of raw sugar + a handful of dried black currants. The cider is pretty sweet, so you won't need to add much sugar to this. 

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (360F). Grease a bread pan or tin or ramekins or muffin pan with butter or line with baking paper.

2. Pour the flour into the bowl, add the cider, add the sweet and salt and anything else, and stir with a heavy spoon until everything's completely mixed. You'll end up with a very sticky dough - don't worry! Just spoon it into your baking receptacles and pop it into the preheated oven.

3. Bake for about 30-40 minutes*, or until the top is golden and firm and a tap on the crust produces a hollow sound. Take the bread out of the oven, but don't remove it from its tin (or whatever) until it cools down a bit. *This depends a lot on the size of the tin you use - reduce baking times for smaller breads.

4. Enjoy warm with butter and honey. Or cold with butter and honey. Or vegan with … whatever margarine you can find without creepy ingredients. Yep, you heard me. I've got nothing against vegans - some of my best friends are vegans haha … but if you don't like butter then I recommend you always go for the most-natural butter alternative you can find.