Freshly baked Banbury bread with a pumpkin pie glaze over the top.

Transforming Banbury Cake Filling into Irresistible Bread

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Hiya and a happy November to you all! Those of you who follow my post regularly may recall my Banbury cakes’ recipe from last Friday. In that post, I alluded to sharing recipes that would utilize the leftovers from my Banbury cake filling. (If you missed that post, you can read it right here). Therefore, as a follow up to that post- today, I will be sharing exactly how I utilized a special (leftover ingredient): my Banbury cake filling.

In fact, the sole aim of this blog post is to show you all how to transform Banbury cake filling into an irresistible bread…a Banbury sweet bread.

So, if you are curious to see how this transformation unfolds, please keep following along. 

~How to be Resourceful in the Kitchen~

Like many home bakers, I do not like wasting ingredients. Resourcefulness is important in a big family- as it limits cost and waste. Utilizing the leftover baking ingredients, as opposed to throwing them out vaguely reminds me of Amish friendship bread. 

Do you know this bread? Basically, a starter is made and allowed to ferment. Once ready, the bread starter is given to friends, where it can continue to be shared and used in an endless manner (relatively speaking). One might say that the starter for the friendship dough keeps on giving- and living- through additions and use.

I have found that new recipes emerge from adapting ingredients to suit what you already have in your pantry or your refrigerator. Waste not want not, as we say in our kitchen.

The recipe I am featuring today, like Amish friendship bread, started as Banbury cakes and evolved into Banbury bread. Therefore, continuing to bless our home from one Banbury, England inspired bowl.

~Banbury Bread Recipe~

Many recipes are born from another recipe’s inspiration. Pair that inspiration with a bit of resourcefulness, personal taste, and creativity, and you have a lovely new take on the original. The old is good, the new is fresh.

The top of a Banbury Bread loaf.

Banbury Sweet Bread

A soft sweet bread filled with leftover fruit filling from previously made, Banbury cakes.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
  • 4 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp salted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups Banbury fruit filling *(see my Banbury cakes post for the recipe)
  • 1 sprinkle turbinado sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat milk until it is warm to the touch.
  3. Add yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar to the warm milk and stir. (Set aside as the yeast activates and bubbles (about ten minutes)).
  4. In the large mixing bowl (of a stand mixer), add flour, sugar (1/2 cup), and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients.
  5. Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the dry ingredients.
  6. Using the dough hook attachment, begin mixing the ingredients together.
  7. Add the softened butter and the eggs one at a time.
  8. Knead the bread dough for approximately ten minutes until soft and pliable.
  9. Lightly dust countertops with flour and add the kneaded dough to the countertops.
  10. *Add the Banbury fruit mixture (see note) to the middle of the dough. Begin lightly folding (by hand) the fruit into the dough, until the fruit is evenly incorporated throughout the dough.
  11. Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area for one hour (or until doubled in size).
  12. Punch the dough down and form it into a ball. Allow the dough to rise a second time (approximately 30 minutes).
  13. Place parchment paper into an oven safe container and add the bread dough.
  14. Brush the top of the bread with heavy whipping cream and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.
  15. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes (or until 190 degrees and golden brown).

Notes

*This bread recipe is delicious on its own- but for a bit of extra special sweetness- a simple pumpkin pie spice glaze adds a festive touch. (2 Tablespoons salted butter (melted), 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, and enough heavy whipping cream to make the glaze your desired consistency (one tablespoon at a time).
This bread is delicious eaten fresh out of the oven with a pat of butter or toasted the next day for breakfast. 
*See the recipe for the Banbury fruit filling in my Banbury Cake post (1 cup raisins, 1 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup candied peel, 5 Tablespoons salted butter (melted), 3/4 cup turbinado sugar. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or all spice, and a splash of vanilla all mixed together).

~Transforming Banbury Cake Filling into Banbury Bread~

What is Banbury Bread?

Banbury Bread is a sweet bread dough, that we added our leftover Banbury fruit filing to. I suppose it is quite similar to a cinnamon raisin bread. A pillowy soft texture with raisins, candied peel, spices, and turbinado sugar layered throughout. Delightful!

First, we made the sweet bread dough. Following this, we added our fruit filling by kneading the raisin and candied peel mixture into the bread. We then allowed our bread to rise twice. Lastly, we topped our sweet bread with turbinado sugar (for added crunch). 

As an added bonus, we made a simple pumpkin-pie spice buttercream glaze for the top. (The Banbury bread was delicious without the glaze, but the glaze looked pretty- all the while, making the bread taste similar to a sweet breakfast bread.) This was a win-win in our book!

~Gathering the Supplies to Make Our Banbury Bread: ~

Right, with my four eager pupils looking on, we washed our hands, tied our apron strings tight, and began our bake.

Armed with our recipe in hand, and our ingredients waiting for us on the countertop, we were ready!

Please join the five of us as we bake and break bread.

Banbury bread ingredients on a countertop.
*A vintage handkerchief, a vintage heart "pot", and a vintage pitcher- all lovely additions to a kitchen and easily found at a thrift store. (With the exception of my grandmother's pink handkerchief, as it is one of a kind)!

Yeast packets are not inherently beautiful, but they do need a place to be stored in a home-baker’s kitchen. Check out my Facebook page to see some easy kitchen organizer ideas. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1WRvJEPLYz/

~How to Make Banbury Bread with Leftover Banbury Cake Filling~

The Banbury bread dough being made in a mixing bowl.
*Making the sweet bread dough.
Banbury bread dough-ready to be filled with fruit.
*Filling the sweet dough with my leftover Banbury cake fruit-filling. As you can see, I had quite a lot of leftover fruit-filling. and I did not want to let all this delicious goodness go to waste.
Banbury cake, fruit filling being added to the center of a sweet Banbury bread dough.
*Adding the fruit filling to the center of the sweet bread dough- ready to be kneaded in.
Banbury bread dough, with fruit filling, being kneaded into the dough.
*After the Banbury cake fruit-filling was added to the middle of the sweet dough- I simply folded the mixture into the dough longwise- and then turned the dough, 90 degrees, to fold the width. Then I kneaded the fruit filling into my dough, before allowing the dough to rise.
Fresh out of the over- Banbury bread- served in a vintage basket with an embroidered basket linen.
*The turbinado sugar again adds a lovely, crunchy texture to the top of my bread. Turbinado sugar is a wonderful ingredient to bake with!
The top of a Banbury Bread loaf.
*Pumpkin pie glaze is totally not necessary as the Banbury bread is delicious without it. However, the glaze does add a lovely nostalgic taste- reminding me of cinnamon rolls and breakfast bread.

~Baking the Banbury Bread~

As the turbinado sugar, spices, raisins, and candied peel bake into the bread- it creates a lovely, sticky moistness that makes the soft bread even more tantalizing.

Banbury Bread- ready to be served.

Now hold on one moment…Is it just me, or do you see that mean face with a raisin eye and a long nose? Perhaps, I just need to rub my eyes and rest? However, once you see that mean mug, you can’t unsee it. Anyhow, I digress. Back to the task at hand.

On aside note- I really feel like we should give our “bread character” a name. Hmm, something like? Wally or Merlin? No, no, I know. Bernard. Bernard, for Banbury Bread. Seems fitting. Why not?

All jokes aside, this Banbury bread that is filled with Banbury cake filling is a real delight.  Soft, chewy, spicy and sweet- this bread is delicious fresh out of the oven. It is also yummy slightly toasted and slathered in butter. Yum! I hope you will give this recipe a try.

~Final Thoughts Until Next Time~

Well, it looks like this is the end of another fun post. I hope you guys enjoyed this simple, resourceful recipe- utilizing leftover goods- to create something fresh and new. If resourcefulness resonates with you, why not try my Banbury cake filling transformed into a luscious Banbury bread?

That is all for now but before you leave, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss a post. For more ideas or inspirations throughout the week check out my Cotswold Kitchen Mom Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Lastly, for more English recipe ideas- check out my ultimate guide to traditional English recipes here.

Until next time…

~Elizabeth~

A fall tree in all its glory.

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