Brack is one of Ireland's most famous bakery products. The name comes from breac which means speckled, referring to the fruit in the loaf.
Brack is traditionally eaten at Halloween but is too delicious to save for just once a year. Eat it at tea time, or as part of your St Patrick's Day celebrations.
Brack is traditionally eaten at Halloween but is too delicious to save for just once a year. Eat it at tea time, or as part of your St Patrick's Day celebrations.
Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp dried yeast
- 1 ½ cup/300ml lukewarm water
- 2 oz/ 50g + 1 extra tsp sugar for yeast
- 1 lb / 450g all purpose/plain flour
- Pinch salt
- 2 oz/50g butter
- 6 oz/ 175g raisins
- 2 oz/ 50g mixed candied peel
- 2 oz/ 50g sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
Preparation:
Makes 2 loaves
Heat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6 after the second kneading of the dough- Place the yeast in the lukewarm water, add the tsp of sugar, stir and leave to one side.
- Put the flour into a large roomy, baking bowl, add the butter and salt and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour to form sand-like crumbs. Work quickly to prevent the butter becoming too warm.
- Add the peel, raisins and 2 oz of sugar to the flour mixture and stir.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the beaten eggs and the yeast mixture. Work the mixture together to form a soft dough.
- Knead the dough on a floured work top for 10 minutes until smooth and pliable. Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a clean tea cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- Return the dough to the worktop, divide in 2, knead each half for another few minutes then form into a round approx 7"/20cm. Place on a greased baking sheet and leave to rise for another hour.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
