Hutzel or fruit bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 125 g pear(s), dried (hutzen)
• 125 g prunes (dried plums)
• 125 g fig(s), dried
• 125 g dried apricots
• 125 g sultanas
• 100 g date(s), dried
• 125 g hazelnuts
• 30 g raw cane sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp. clove powder
• 1 pinch of anise powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 20 ml cherry brandy
• 200 g rye flour
• 200 g spelt flour type 630
• 125 ml broth (pear cooking water)
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 1 tsp honey, liquid
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 day 1 hour 45 minutes

old family recipe, for 2 loaves

Hutzeln or Kletzen are dried pears. They are dried whole and still have their cores. In Franconia, these pears are used to make the typical Hutzelbrot (bread), which is sold at every Christmas market here. Soak the Hutzeln overnight and boil them until soft the next day. Reserve the pear water. Remove the cores from the Hutzeln. Cut all the dried fruit into small pieces, roughly chop the hazelnuts, and mix everything with the sugar, the kirsch, and the spices. Cover and let stand until needed again. For the dämpfel (pre-dough), mix the flours with salt, make a well in the center, and crumble in the yeast. Dissolve the yeast in a little warm pear cooking water, cover the bowl, and let everything rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Add the rest of the pear water and the fruit mixture. Now you need stamina and a bit of strength. Knead this mixture for a longer time (about 10 minutes) to form a firm dough. Form two loaves, cover, and let them rise for another two hours. Dissolve a teaspoon of honey in a little warm water and brush the loaves with it. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about one hour. Brush the loaves with honey water occasionally. Wait one or two days before cutting to allow the loaves to rise.