Irish Barm Brack Bread
Irish Barm Brack bread is a yeast bread with raisins. It is traditionally eaten around Halloween, when charms are baked into the dough as part of an ancient ritual. However you can make it anytime of the year. Delicious served at breakfast or as it dries as toast for the week. A pat of Irish butter will do please, you’ll find it at Costco! Try me other delicious Irish Recipes, you’ll get lucky!
4 2/3 cups white bread flour
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
2/3 cup lukewarm water
4 tablespoons lightly salted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups mixed dried fruit, such as golden raisins, dried currants, and raisins.
Milk for grazing
Sift the flour, spices, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour n the milk and water. Mix well to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until no longer sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead lightly for 1 minute. Add the butter and dried fruit to the dough and work them in until completely incorporated. Return the dough to the bowl, replace the plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Oil a 9 inch round cake pan. Pat the dough to a neat circle and fit in the pan. Cover and let rest in a warm place until it has risen to the top of the pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush the top of the loaf lightly with milk and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover the loaf with aluminum foil, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F., and bake for an additional 45 minutes, until golden brown and it sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Serve sliced with Irish butter.