Let's enjoy this delicious fruit bread with a chocolate glaze! This recipe, known as "Biskupsky chlebicek" in the Czech Republic, includes candied fruit and is easy to make. I guarantee each family member will love it.
This buttery and soft fruit bread stands out for its flavorful taste, it is perfect for festive occasions or just for a catch-up with friends. I warmly recommend it as a nice example of sweet baking from Czech cuisine.
Czechs call this delicacy "biskupsky chlebicek" which translates as bishop's bread!
MY TIP: If you like Czech cooking, try Mrkvanky carrot cookies (they taste fantastic)
➜ Ingredients
To make soft fruit bread, you need:
- All-purpose flour; in the UK plain flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature. Make sure you take the butter out of the refrigerator at least half a day before baking.
- Eggs; warmed to room temperature. A nifty trick: If you forget to take them out of the fridge in time, dip them in warm water for a while.
- Salt; for the contrast in taste
- Lemon zest; freshly shredded for extra flavor. Shred only the upper yellow layer; the lower white layer is bitter.
- Baking powder
- Candied fruit; can be substituted with dry fruits such as raisins, cherries, dates, figs
For the chocolate glaze:
- Medium-sweet dark chocolate (bars or chocolate chips)
- Sunflower oil; the oil will make the icing glossy. Instead of oil, use heavy cream or a piece of unsalted butter. Sunflower oil can be substituted for rapeseed oil (Canola). Avoid olive oil as it has a specific aroma.
Next, you need some butter and fine plain breadcrumbs or flour to grease and dust the loaf pan.
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ How to make fruit bread
STEP 1: Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Then beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar until stiff. Use an electric hand mixer.
STEP 2: In another bowl, beat softened butter with egg yolks and remaining sugar until fluffy.
STEP 3: Combine flour with the baking powder. Gradually add the flour and whipped egg whites by tablespoonfuls to the beaten egg yolks. Always mix well with a hand spatula. Finally, stir in the lemon zest and candied fruit.
STEP 4: Brush the loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the prepared bread dough and smooth the surface.
STEP 5: Bake the fruit bread in a preheated oven at 170° C (top and bottom heat) for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Towards the end of the baking time, make a test for doneness. Insert a wooden skewer into the bread. When it comes out dry, the fruit bread is baked. If dough sticks to the skewer, bake for another 5 minutes.
After baking, let the fruit bread cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then turn it out of the loaf pan.
STEP 6: Allow the fruit bread to cool completely. In the meantime, melt the chocolate over steam and add the oil. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
STEP 7: Brush the top and sides of the cooled fruit loaf with the glaze. Allow the glaze to set in the refrigerator. Cut the bread into thin slices and serve.
➜ What is candied fruit?
Candied fruit is finely chopped pieces of fruit, cooked and then macerated in sugar syrup. The sugar sweetens the soaked fruits and preserves them, thus prolonging their life. The most common candied fruits are lemon and orange peel, papaya, pineapple, apricots, or dates.
Candied fruit is most often used in sweet baking, such as Christmas fruit bread, Easter lamb cake, or florentines.
➜ The best pan for fruit bread
A loaf pan is best suited for classic fruit bread. You can bake various kinds of sweet bread in it such as banana bread, but also meatloaf (Czech sekana or sekanina). This recipe works great to make in a 5x9-inch loaf pan.
➜ Useful tips
- The butter must be softened at room temperature before use. The same applies to eggs. If the ingredients were cold, they would not combine when beaten and lumps would form in the mixture.
- Allow the chocolate glaze to cool before coating, it should be semi-liquid when used. If not stiff enough, put it in the freezer for a while.
- STORAGE: Cover the fruit loaf with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. Stored at room temperature, it will keep for about five days.
More sweet recipes:
- Bublanina – sheet cake with fruits
- Koblihy – Czech donuts
- Gingerbread slice
Tried this recipe?
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Fruit Bread (Czech Biskupsky chlebicek)
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 4 eggs warmed at room temeprature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup candied fruit
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Chocolate glaze:
- 1 cup chocolate chips (about 5-6 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons sunflower oil
Instructions
- Get 4 eggs and carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Then beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar until stiff. Use an electric hand mixer with whisk attachement.
- In another bowl, cream 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, with egg yolks and the rest of 1/2 cup granulated sugar until fluffy. Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, add 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- Using a hand spatula, gradually fold the flour and whipped egg whites into the beaten egg yolks, one tablespoon at a time. Finally, stir in 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and 3/4 cup candied fruit.
- Brush the loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the prepared bread dough and smooth the surface.
- Bake the fruit bread in a preheated oven at
350 °F for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Towards the end of the baking time, make a test for doneness. Insert a wooden skewer into the bread. When it comes out dry, the fruit bread is baked. If dough sticks to the skewer, bake for another 5 minutes. - After baking, let the fruit bread cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then turn it out of the loaf pan.
- Allow the fruit bread to cool completely. In the meantime, melt 1 cup chocolate chips in double boiler and add 2 teaspoons sunflower oil. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Brush the top and sides of the cooled fruit loaf with the glaze. Allow the glaze to set in the refrigerator. Cut the bread into thin slices and serve.
Notes
- One Biskupský chlebíček loaf makes 12 slices.
- Instead of candied fruits, use dry fruits such as dried raisins, cherries, dates, or figs.
- The butter and eggs must be softened at room temperature before use. If the ingredients are cold, they won't combine properly when beaten, resulting in lumps in the mixture.
- A nifty trick: If you forget to take the eggs out of the fridge before baking, dip them in warm water for a while.
- EQUIPMENT: This recipe works perfectly in a 5x9-inch loaf pan.
- STORAGE: Cover the fruit loaf with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. When stored at room temperature, it will stay fresh for about four days.
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