Freckle Bread Recipes

IRISH FRECKLE BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Prepare potatoes and potato water. Sprinkle yeast into very warm potato water. (crumble compressed yeast into very warm potato water). Stir until dissolved. Add mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Beat smooth. Cover and let rise until bubbly. (about 1/2 hour). Stir down. Add 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beatsmooth. Stir eggs, then cooled melted shortening. Add raisins. Stir in 1 1/2 cups more flour. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup flour on board. Turn dough out on flour. Kneed until smooth (5to 7 minutes), adding any remaining flour as needed. Shape into a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl cover and let rise (about ! hour). Punch down. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.Let rest 5 minutes. Shape each part into slender loaf about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Put 2 loaves side by side into greased loaf pan. 4/3/4 x 3/4 inches. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake in moderate oven(350 degrees). 1 hour.

IRISH FRECKLE BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray two 9x5-inch baking pans with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.
• 2. Cook potato in 1 cup water in a small saucepan for 15 minutes, until tender. Mash potato and measure with cooking water to make 1 cup. Stir in currants and butter. Cool to lukewarm.
• 3. Sprinkle yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in large bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves; stir in potato, eggs, sugar, and butter. Stir in 2 cups flour, salt, and mace until smooth. Beat in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead. Let rise 1 hour.
• 4. Punch dough down, then divide the dough in half. Shape both halves into balls and set aside to rise 45 minutes until double in bulk.
• 5. After second rise, shape both halves into loaves about 9 inches in length. Place two loaves, side by side, in a prepared baking pan. Place the 2 remaining loaves, side by side, in other prepared baking pan.
• 6. Place both baking pans in oven, and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge to loosen bread from pan edges. Turn loaves onto a platter to cool.
• 7. Thoroughly mix the corn syrup, water and vanilla. Brush the top of the bread with the glaze while the bread is cooling.

ALAN THICKE'S IRISH FRECKLE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine together 1 cup of the whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of the white flour, the sugar, the undissolved yeast and the salt.
• Heat butter and water together until very warm (125F to 130F); gradually stir the warm liquids into the dry ingredients.
• Then stir in eggs, mashed potatoes, dates and the additional flours to make a soft dough; add a few more tbsp of the white flour if need be.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover and let rest on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; shape into 4 slender loaves-- about 8-1/2 inches long.
• Set 2 loaves side-by-side in each of 2 well-greased 8-1/2-by-4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
• Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until done.
• Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

IRISH FRECKLE BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water.
• Add the butter, eggs, potatoes, salt, remaining sugar and two cups flour; beat until smooth.
• Stir in raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into eight portions.
• Shape each into a ball.
• Place dough balls in a greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Place on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove sides of pan.
• Place on a wire rack to cool.

FRECKLE BREAD (RED HOTS)

Steps:

• Combine all dough ingredients except cinnamon candies and mix and knead together -by hand, mixer or bread machine- until you have a soft, piable dough.
• Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes to one hour or until full and round. To test, poke dough with index finger approximately 1/2 inch deep. If the impression remains, the dough has sufficiently risen.
• Gently deflate the dough, and pat into a 8" x 10" rectangle. Knead in the cinnamon candies in 3 stages, using about 1/3 of the candies each time.
• Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased or parchment lined 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 40-50 minutes. Dough should just crest the top of the pan.
• If making buns, divide the dough evenly into 9 pieces and shape into smooth, round balls. Place buns in greased 9x9" square pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes. Buns will be full, puffy and barely touching one another.
• Bake bread (or buns) in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for buns). If bread browns too quickly on top, tent loosely with aluminium foil. Place pan over parchment or foil lined cookie sheet to catch any drips of hot candy. Bread is done when internal temperature reads 190 degrees on an instant thermometer.
• Remove bread from pan and allow to cool on wire rack. Place rack over a piece of parchment to catch any drips of hot candy. Candy will set as bread cools.