Portuguese Honey Bread

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons active yeast dry (from two)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.8 cup fine-quality candied fruit such as pear mixed chopped (not a supermarket brand;)
• 0.8 cup cranberries dried sour
• 3 large eggs 
• 4.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.5 cup mild honey 
• 0.8 cup blackstrap molasses (not blackstrap)
• 0.3 cup port 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1.3 cups butter unsalted softened for buttering pans
• 4.3 oz walnuts 
• 0.3 cup warm water (105-115°F)

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• plastic wrap
• loaf pan
• hand mixer
• aluminum foil
• stand mixer
• skewers

Directions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter loaf pans.
2. Bring cranberries, candied fruit, and Port to a simmer in a small saucepan.
3. Remove from heat and set aside, covered.
4. Pulse walnuts in a food processor until just coarsely chopped.
5. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and spices and pulse to combine.
6. Beat together butter (2 1/2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 with a handheld.
7. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
9. Add one third of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined, then add molasses and mix until incorporated.
10. Add half of remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then add honey and mix until incorporated.
11. Add yeast mixture and remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then stir in candied-fruit mixture.
12. Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. (Do not let batter rise.)
13. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.
14. Breads keep, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, at room temperature 1 week.