Austrian Pear Bread- Kletzenbrot

I was given a small loaf of this very special and delicious bread at Christmas from a lovely Austrian friend Bettina. I hounded her for the recipe. I still haven’t made it yet myself, but I did dry some pears in my dehydrator to have them ready for when I do.
Austrian Fruit Bread – Kletzenbrot  Kindly shared by Bettina Winkler

300 g Dried pears (Kletzen)

250 g Prunes

250 g Dried figs

100 g Raisins

150 g Nuts (e.g. Walnuts, Hazelnuts)

1 tsp. Allspice

1 tsp. Pimento

1 tsp. Ground cloves

1/2 cup Rum

5 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tbsp Vanilla sugar

500 g Rye flour

200 g Wheat flour

1 sachet Dried yeast or 100 g
 Sourdough

1 tsp Salt

This is a recipe from my beloved Grandmother. I initially intended to keep this recipe in the family, but I feel good things need to be shared in order for them to survive and live on. I treasure this recipe and carry it on, as it gives me great memories of my childhood. And not only mine, but also my father’s, mother’s and brother’s memories from our lives as a family. I bake it every year around Christmas time as this was usually the time when my grandparents would make it. Whenever I have the first bite, the same image comes back to my mind: Me being a little girl, sitting on the lap of my grandfather, eating Kletzenbrot with unsalted butter on top. I hope you enjoy this bread as much as I did and still do up until this day. Please refrain from using it in a commercial sense in order to value this recipe for what it is, a family treasure.

Thank you & enjoy!

Prepare the fruit mix

Cook the dried pears in water until soft. Cut them into chunks, as well as the figs and prunes. Put all of them into a big bowl, together with the raisins and nuts. Add the rum and leave it to rest for a few hours (over night works well, too). Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, all spice, pimento and ground cloves and leave to rest for another two hours.

Prepare the bread dough

Mix the flours, salt and yeast or sourdough, stir the dry mix with a fork before adding some liquid to cover. Leave the whole mix to rest until it raises (~ 45 – 60 mins). Best is a warm place with a wet table cloth over it. Add the fruit mix and about 3⁄4 cup of lukewarm water, let it rest again (~ 45 – 60 mins). Form into small to mid-sized loafs and bake at 160°C – 170°C for about 1- 1 1⁄2 hours (until dark brown on the outside).

Stored in a cool and dry place it is said this bread should last for months. It will be rock hard, but cut off a slice, add butter- enjoy with a warm cup of tea!

 

Danke Bettina!