Russian Honey & Dried Fruit Bread

Russian honey and dried fruit bread tastes like a slice of a Moscow grandmother’s tea table, dense with toasted walnuts, sticky dates, and chewy apricots bound by a honey crumb that turns amber around the edges.

The spice mix is restrained on purpose. A little cinnamon and just a whisper of ground clove let the honey carry the flavor, so the dried fruit reads as fruit and not as candy. Separating the eggs gives the loaf a finer, cake-like crumb, which is closer to the Russian medovik tradition than to a typical American quick bread.

It is built for the bread machine, so you skip the creaming and folding. The chopped fruit and nuts go in last on the mix-in beep, which keeps them from getting pulverized by the paddle. Slice it thick, slather with cold butter, and serve with strong black tea. It also makes a serious base for bread pudding if a loaf goes stale.

Chef Tips

• Toss the dried fruit and walnuts in a teaspoon of flour before adding. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
• Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for three minutes before chopping. The deeper flavor stands up to the honey.
• Use the quick bread or cake cycle on your machine, not a standard yeast cycle. There is no yeast and a long cycle will over-mix.
• Let it cool fully before slicing. The crumb tightens as it sets and a warm slice tears.

Variations

• Swap the walnuts for pecans and add a teaspoon of orange zest for a holiday spin.
• Replace the margarine with butter for richer flavor and a slightly softer crumb.
• Use dried cranberries and dried cherries in place of the raisins for a sharper, brighter loaf.