How to Make the Perfect Traditional Irish Barmbrack
Irish · Medium · 320 min · 10 servings
Barmbrack is a lightly spiced and sweetened Irish fruit bread made with tea-soaked dried fruits and warming spices that fill the kitchen with the most wonderful autumnal aroma as it bakes. Traditionally associated with Halloween in Ireland, small trinkets are hidden in the bread with each item foretelling the finders fortune for the coming year.
Why this recipe works
This Traditional Irish Barmbrack recipe has been crafted to deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen. At just 320 minutes from start to finish, it fits perfectly into a busy schedule without sacrificing flavor. Each serving comes in at 245 calories with 5g of protein, making it a balanced choice for any meal.
What you will need
This recipe uses 6 simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store:
- 300 g mixed dried fruit sultanas raisins and currants
- 300 ml strong hot black tea
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 150 g soft light brown sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Soak the Fruit
Place all the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl and pour the hot strong black tea over it. Stir well, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and leave the fruit to soak and absorb the tea for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. The fruit will plump up beautifully and the tea will be mostly absorbed.
Step 2: Prepare the Batter
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius and grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Add the flour, brown sugar, mixed spice, and beaten egg to the soaked fruit and its remaining liquid. Stir everything together until you have a thick, well-combined batter with no dry flour remaining.
Step 3: Fill and Bake
Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil for the remaining baking time.
Step 4: Cool and Serve
Allow the barmbrack to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Resist the urge to slice while warm as the texture improves significantly once fully cooled. Serve in thick slices spread generously with cold salted butter alongside a pot of tea.
Easy substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Here are some swaps that work perfectly:
- self-raising flour → plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder sifted together thoroughly
- mixed spice → a combination of 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon and 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these pitfalls that can affect your results:
- Not soaking the fruit for long enough, which means the fruit stays dry and hard in the finished bread rather than plump and juicy
- Opening the oven door before the loaf has been baking for at least 45 minutes, which causes the center to collapse and sink
Nutrition facts
Per serving: 245 calories, 5g protein, 48g carbs, 4g fat, 2g fiber.
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