Homemade Fruited Teacakes

My 3 daughters love making, and eating, all sorts of different breads.  Toasted teacakes is one of their favourite after school snacks.  We baked some teacakes on the weekend, they taste so much better than shop bought ones and were devoured still warm from the oven.

These teacakes freeze well, I often bake a double batch and stash them in the freezer otherwise they would all get eaten straight away.  There's also only one proving time, just knead, shape, prove then bake.  The ingredients to make a batch of 10 large teacakes cost 78p, just under the cost of a 4 pack of teacakes from the supermarket.  That means you can make 2.5 times more teacakes if you make them yourself for the cost of buying them.   

Making your own breads, rolls and buns also means you can tailor them to your tastes.  Sometimes we add dried apple pieces as well as raisins/sultanas or some dried apricots.  Baking bread is also a great school holiday activity as it keeps children amused, can be fitted in around other activities, and they can devour the result.

Homemade Fruited Teacakes

700g strong white bread flour
50g white vegetable fat, I used Trex
50g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 sachet (7g) instant yeast
430ml lukewarm milk
125g dried fruit, we used sultanas

Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper,  Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Rub the vegetable fat into the flour.  Add the sugar, salt and stir through.  Add the yeast then make a well in the centre and add the warmed milk.  Mix until a sot dough forms.  Knead the dough on an unfloured work surface for 10 minutes or knead with a dough hook in your stand mixer for 5 - 7 minutes.  Work in the dried fruit, divide the dough into portions.

Shape each of the 10 dough portions into a round then flatten with your hand to about 1cm (1/2 inch) thick.  Put 5 dough portions on each baking tray, allowing room for spreading.  Cover with greased cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7.

Bake the teacakes for about 15 minutes, they should be golden on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or until they are cool enough to devour.