Guernsey Gâche - a Fruit Bread Loaf - Tales From The Kitchen Shed

Guernsey Gâche (pronounced “Gosh”) is a traditional fruit bread made with an enriched yeast dough and plenty of dried fruit. The perfect teatime treat or toasted for breakfast.

Guernsey Gâche - a Fruit Bread Loaf

Guernsey Gâche - a fruit bread loaf packed with plump sultanas and flavoured with nutmeg and orange peel. This spiced fruit bread recipe delivers a delicious breakfast or afternoon treat.

Serve with plenty of Guernsey butter and a pot of tea for a genuine taste of Guernsey.

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Course: bread

Cuisine: Traditional Guernsey

Prep Time: 3

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 4

Servings: loaf

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed

loaf

Ingredients

500 g strong white bread flour
175 g butter - preferably Guernsey Butter
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons caster sugar
A good pinch of salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast I used Doves Farm
300 ml milk or water warmed I used milk
350 g sultanas
75 g mixed peel

Instructions

If mixing and kneading your dough by hand:

Combine all the dough ingredients except for the dried fruit in a large bowl, stirring them together until they form a ball.
Knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes before adding the fruit a little at a time until it is incorporated evenly into the dough.

If mixing and kneading your dough using a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook:

Add all the dough ingredients except for the fruit into your mixer bowl.
Mix on slow speed number 1 for approximately 1 to 2 minutes then on speed number 2 for 8 to 10 minutes. Your dough should be lovely and smooth and elastic.
On slow speed add the sultanas and mixed peel a little at a time until incorporated into the dough.

Rest your dough:

Place the dough in a greased large bowl and cover with cling film/plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.
Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin/pan and preheat your oven to 400°F / 220°C / 200°C fan / Gas Mark 7
Once the dough has doubled in size, knead lightly into a loaf shape and place into the tin.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – this should take approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm place.
Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, after 30 minutes lower the temperature to 200°C / 180°C fan for the remaining 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to fully cool. When you tap the base of the loaf with your fingers, it should sound hollow.
Enjoy spread with butter, Guernsey butter if you can.

Notes

To make a nice light loaf, shape the dough into a rectangle with your fingers or a rolling pin; the width of you dough rectangle should be the length of your tin. Roll up the dough and seal the ends and along the seam using your fingers. Place the dough 'seam side' down in your tin.
Cover with foil at the halfway baking point if your loaf is browning too quickly.
Gâche will keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
Gâche freezes really well. Individually open freeze slices on a tray and then transfer to a food safe freezer bag or sealed container. Or simply freeze as a whole fruit bread loaf.
Once frozen, Gâche will keep for up to three months.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.