BARMBRACK (IRISH SWEET BREAD)

Barmbrack (Irish Sweet Bread) image

This traditional Irish sweet bread is known as barmbrack, or bairin breac in Gaelic, or speckled loaf, since it is run through with raisins. This is a perfect bread for breakfast or tea, spread with good butter, toasted or not. The recipe has been adapted slightly from one by the well-known Irish cookbook author Rachel Allen; her original calls for chopped candied peel instead of citrus zest, and fast-rising yeast instead of dry active yeast.

Provided by David Tanis

Time 2h

Yield 1 loaf

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dry active yeast
2/3 cup/158 milliliters lightly warmed milk
1 egg, beaten
1 2/3 cups/214 grams all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar
1/2 cup/75 grams golden raisins
1/2 cup/75 grams black raisins
1/2 cup/75 grams currants
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Steps:

In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and milk together. Leave it to bubble slowly in a warm spot 10 minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour, cinnamon, clove, mace, salt, butter and sugar. Mix well, incorporating butter with fingertips (or paddle, if using mixer) until absorbed.
Pour the yeast-milk-egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (or dough hook, with mixer).
When the dough begins to come together, add the raisins, currants, lemon zest and orange zest, then mix to combine. It will be somewhat sticky dough. Dust lightly with flour, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough feels smooth. Pat dough into a rectangle.
Butter a loaf pan and lay in the dough, pushing down so dough covers bottom of pan. Stretch plastic wrap loosely over pan and put in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel, for about an hour, until doubled in size. Uncover.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the oven. Bake loaf on the centered rack for 45 minutes, until well browned. Carefully tip the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. To tell whether it's done, thump the bottom of the loaf with your fingertips; it should sound hollow. Let cool to room temperature before slicing, if possible.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 207, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 39 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 201 milligrams, Sugar 33 grams, TransFat 0 grams