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Mary Berry Tea Bread Recipe

Mary Berry Tea Bread Recipe

Mary Berry's tea bread is moist, packed with plump tea-soaked fruit, and completely wonderful sliced and buttered.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: British
Calories: 235
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Fruit Soak Night Before:
  • 350 g mixed dried fruit
  • 250 ml strong black tea hot
  • 175 g soft light brown sugar
  • Tea Bread Batter:
  • The soaked fruit and all its liquid
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 275 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Optional Glaze:
  • 2 tbsp marmalade or apricot jam warmed

Method
 

  1. Night before: combine dried fruit and brown sugar in a bowl. Pour over hot strong tea. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and leave overnight (minimum 6 hours).
  2. Preheat oven to 150°C / 130°C fan / Gas 2. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
  3. Add beaten egg to the soaked fruit and all its liquid. Stir to combine.
  4. Sift flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon over the fruit. Fold together until just combined — no dry flour remaining.
  5. Spoon into prepared tin. Level the surface.
  6. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cover top loosely with parchment if browning too quickly.
  7. Cool in tin 15 minutes. Lift out. Brush warm top with warmed jam if using. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Soak the fruit overnight — 8 to 12 hours gives the best result.
Use strong black tea — the flavour should be present in the finished loaf.
Add all the soaking liquid to the batter — every drop contributes to the moist texture.
Bake low and slow at 150°C — do not increase the temperature.
This loaf improves over 24 to 48 hours — make it the day before if possible.
Stores in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Slices freeze well for up to 3 months.
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