Barm Brack (Báirín Breac)
This recipe is adapted from Malachi McCormick’s Irish Country Cooking. It features a traditional Irish Barm Brack sweet bread studded with raisins.
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups golden raisins
- ¾ cup dried currants
- Grated rind of one lemon
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the yeast with the teaspoon of sugar and ¼ cup of the milk. Set aside to proof.
- In another bowl mix 3 cups of the flour, salt, and spices together. Blend in the butter with your fingertips, then blend in the sugar.
- When the yeast mixture has begun to bubble, stir in the remaining ¾ cup milk and beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add enough additional flour to form a ball of dough and knead in the bowl, adding additional flour as necessary, until pliable but fairly firm.
- Knead in the raisins, currants, and lemon rind. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
- Line a 10-inch round baking pan with wax paper. Punch down the dough and transfer it to the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Bake the cake for 1 hour, until browned. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 280mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!