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The fact that I had never heard of this Irish bread or the folklore behind it, made this whole experiment so much more fun. Besides finding a new Irish treat, it came with a story and was fun to make.
You’ll start by sifting all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Then, using a fork, you smash the butter into the mix. You’ll then add sugar and make sure it is all incorporated.
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Mix the yeast with a tablespoon of warm milk and a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for about five minutes to get nice and frothy. That means the yeast is working.
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You’ll add the yeast mixture, the rest of the milk and the beaten egg to the flour mixture and let the stand mixer do it’s job. Using the dough hook, you’ll mix and knead the bread for up to 8 minutes until smooth. Add the dried fruit and make sure it is all well incorporated. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest until doubled in size. About one hour.
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Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured board or kitchen counter top. Shape the dough into a 9-inch round. If you are hiding the trinkets like suggested by Irish folklore, now is the time to do it. I’ve heard some people wrap the trinkets in a piece of parchment paper so they are easier to find. I choose to warn everyone to be on the lookout OR leave them out completely and just share the story. You decide.
Place the loaf in a cheesecake pan with releasable sides, cover with a towel and let rise a second time for about 45 minutes. Remove towel and bake for one hour.
When the bread is done, you’ll brush the top with the egg wash and put back in the oven for a couple of minutes to get golden brown and shiny.
Let cool a few minutes, then run your knife around the rim of the bread and the pan and release the pan from the bread.
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I made it as part of my St. Paddy’s Day menu this year and people went nuts for it. I was concerned at first that it would taste like the dreaded fruit cake we all get and give away at Christmas…lol. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is a tasty bread (not cake). I really like it sliced, toasted and slathered with Kerry Gold butter. Served with a cup of tea and you’ll feel like you are in Ireland in no time. Definitely worth making a loaf for this holiday.
If you are looking for traditional Irish soda bread recipes, I’ve got you covered. Try my family’s recipeor try the Lyons-Dooley version. Both recipes are delicious.
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Traditional Irish Barmbrack Bread
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tsp. Ground all spice
- 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/8 Tsp. Kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- ¼ Oz. Quick acting yeast, 1 packet
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Warm milk
- 1 Large egg, beaten
- 1 ¼ Cups Milk warm
- 1 ½ Cups Raisins
- 1 Cup Golden raisins
- ¾ Cup Candied orange peel
- ½ Cup Glacé cherries
EGG WASH (GLAZE)
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp. Heavy cream or milk
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
Instructions
- Sift the flour, all spice, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Then, work the butter into the flour mixture using a fork until the butter pieces are small.
- Add the 1/2 cup of sugar to the mix and combine.
- Mix the yeast with 1 tablespoon of warm milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl. Stir completely. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. The yeast will become bubbly when it’s ready to use.
- Add the yeast mixture, the additional 1 1/4 cups of warm milk and the beaten egg to the flour mixture. Knead using the dough hook of a stand mixer. You want everything well combined and the dough smooth. This will take 5-8 minutes.
- Add all the dried fruit to the dough and mix until well incorporated. Cover the bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel and set it in a warm place in the kitchen for an hour. The dough should double in size.
- Put the dough on a floured kitchen counter or cutting board. This is the time to “hide your trinkets” (see my notes below) if you are honoring the Halloween Irish tradition.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Place the dough in a 9-inch round cheesecake pan with a releasable side latch and a removable bottom. (I have found this to be the easiest was to remove the bread but a standard cake pan will also work.) Cover the loaf in the baking pan with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise again for 45 minutes. The loaf should have risen to the top of the rim of the pan. (or close to it) I have found that if it doesn’t seem to have risen enough, the job is completed in the oven and you get a really nice high standing loaf anyway…so, no worries.
- Bake the bread in the oven for about 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If it has dough on it, let it bake a few more minutes until done.
- Meanwhile, make the egg wash. Mix the egg yolk, tablespoon of cream and teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the top of your bread with the egg wash. Return the bread to the oven for 3-5 minutes to finish cooking and to get that pretty glazed finish.
- Cool in the pan for just a few minutes. Run your knife around the outside of the bread to loosen anything that might have stuck from the pan. Then unlatch the sides of the pan and remove the loaf of Brack. Remove the bottom of the pan and let cool on a rack.
- The bread can be served warm or at room temperature. Simply cut and serve with Irish butter for a delicious taste of Ireland.