# Tea loaf

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English bread

Tea loaf Place of origin England Region or state Yorkshire Main ingredients Fruit, cinnamon or other spices

A **tea loaf** or **tea bread** is an [English](/source/England) [bread](/source/Bread), made with [dried fruit](/source/Dried_fruit) and traditionally served sliced and spread with [butter](/source/Butter). It is seen as a very traditional cake and the tea loaf is available in cafes and other establishments that serve traditional [afternoon tea](/source/Afternoon_tea). It is particularly associated with [Yorkshire](/source/Yorkshire).

In the making of tea loaves, the fruit (usually [currants](/source/Zante_currants) and [sultanas](/source/Sultana_(dried_grape))) is soaked in initially hot [tea](/source/Tea) to plump it before mixing it into the [batter](/source/Batter_(cooking)). The fruit is left in the tea for several hours, or overnight, and so is mainly steeped in cold tea.

The tea used to make the cake was traditionally black tea, but [Earl Grey](/source/Earl_Grey_tea) or other teas can also be used.

Eggs are beaten into the tea/fruit mixture to bind the ingredients together and then the flour, sugar and any ground spices (such as [mixed spice](/source/Mixed_spice) or [cinnamon](/source/Cinnamon) alone) are added.[1]

Yeast used to be used as the [raising agent](/source/Leavening_agent) but self-raising flour is specified in modern recipes.[1]

Although currants and sultanas are traditional fruits, others can also be used such as [glace cherries](/source/Glace_cherries), [candied ginger](/source/Candied_ginger), dried [apricots](/source/Apricot), peel or [orange zest](/source/Orange_zest).

A key feature of tea bread is the lack of fat in the recipe with the consequence of improved keeping qualities. Indeed, the flavour is often considered to improve with time.[1]

Similar breads include the Welsh [bara brith](/source/Bara_brith)[2] and the Irish [barmbrack](/source/Barmbrack).[3]

## See also

- [Malt loaf](/source/Malt_loaf)

- [Tea cake](/source/Tea_cake)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BBC_Good_Food_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BBC_Good_Food_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-BBC_Good_Food_1-2) Clark, Esther. ["Tea loaf"](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tea-loaf). *BBC Good Food*. Retrieved 26 February 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bara_brith_2-0)** Hamilton, Mary. ["Bara brith"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bara_brith_33441). *BBC Food*. Retrieved 26 February 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guardian_barmbrack_3-0)** [Cloake, Felicity](/source/Felicity_Cloake) (17 March 2018). ["How to cook the perfect Irish barmbrack"](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/17/barmbrack-recipe-fruit-loaf-felicity-cloake). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 26 February 2020.

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