Sweet Irish Bread Recipes

IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
• Pour hot water over raisins and currants in a bowl and let soak. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl until well combined; whisk in buttermilk.
• Drain raisins and currants and pat dry with paper towels; fold into dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until it holds its shape; if dough is too sticky, knead in more flour. Form into a round and place into prepared cast iron skillet. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the top of the loaf.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a slender knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.

SWEET IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. I use a glass one.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the sour cream mixture until just blended. Fold in raisins. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the crown, comes out clean.

IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt and baking soda. Combine buttermilk and butter; gradually add to dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough, , Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead in raisins 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 1-1/2 hours. , Punch dough down. Turn on a lightly floured surface about 15 times, forming a smooth round ball. Place on a greased baking sheet. Press dough down to form dough down to form an 8-in. circle. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Sprinkle dough lightly with flour; cut a 4-in. cross about 1/4 in. deep on the top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bread tests done. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

BARMBRACK (IRISH SWEET BREAD)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and milk together. Leave it to bubble slowly in a warm spot 10 minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour, cinnamon, clove, mace, salt, butter and sugar. Mix well, incorporating butter with fingertips (or paddle, if using mixer) until absorbed.
• Pour the yeast-milk-egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (or dough hook, with mixer).
• When the dough begins to come together, add the raisins, currants, lemon zest and orange zest, then mix to combine. It will be somewhat sticky dough. Dust lightly with flour, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough feels smooth. Pat dough into a rectangle.
• Butter a loaf pan and lay in the dough, pushing down so dough covers bottom of pan. Stretch plastic wrap loosely over pan and put in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel, for about an hour, until doubled in size. Uncover.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the oven. Bake loaf on the centered rack for 45 minutes, until well browned. Carefully tip the loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack. To tell whether it's done, thump the bottom of the loaf with your fingertips; it should sound hollow. Let cool to room temperature before slicing, if possible.

SWEET IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease a 9 X 5" loaf pan.
• In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; stir into the sour cream mixture until just blended.
• Fold in raisins.
• Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the crown comes out clean.

SWEET IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, work the cold butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, the buttermilk, the currants and the caraway seeds and mix into the flour mixture until it is incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough forms a smooth ball. Place the dough into a lightly greased loaf pan. Score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

SWEET IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Mix Flour, baking powder, sugar and caraway seeds together in a large bowl.
• Combine eggs, melted butter and milk and add this to dry ingredients.
• Add raisins.
• Put batter in one 9" cake pan (with 2" high sides) or 2 loaf pans filled halfway with batter. (Grease pan).
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes in a 9" pie pan or 2 loaf pans filled halfway with batter.then turn temperature down to 375 for 45 more minutes.