Barm Brack

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5 from 5 votes

A traditional Irish recipe served around Halloween. A little sweeter than sandwich bread, but not as rich as cake.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Rise time3

Total Time4 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: Bread, holiday

Servings: slices

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

4 ¾ cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup milk, heated to 95-100 degrees on an instant read thermometer
⅓ cup water, plus extra as needed
⅓ cup Irish Whiskey, such as Bushmills or Jameson or black tea
vegetable oil, for oiling the bowl and pan
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cups golden raisins, raisins and dried currants mixed
1 tablespoon milk, for garnish
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for garnish

Instructions

Place the raisins, currants and golden raisins in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the whiskey and ⅓ cup water. Soak the fruit for at least 1 hour or overnight.
When ready to start the bread, drain the raisins reserving the liquid. Add enough water to the soaking liquid to measure ⅔ cup. Set the fruit and liquid aside.
Sift the flour, allspice and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir in the yeast and granulated sugar. Turn the stand mixer on the lowest setting and add the warmed milk, water and whiskey mixture. Mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough should be slightly sticky but soft.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly for one minute. Add the butter and soaked fruit and work them in until completely incorporated. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the bread to rise again for about 30 minutes.
Oil or grease a 9-inch springform or deep dish cake pan. Form the dough into a neat circle and press into the prepared pan. Cover and let the dough rest in a warm place until it has risen again, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the top of the loaf with milk and sprinkle with coarse or turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes then cover with foil. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a rack and cool.
Serve with butter.

Notes

Store lightly covered at room temperature.
Bread can also be toasted with great results.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

(Inspired by a recipe in The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook)

Nutrition