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    Home » Recipes » Bread Recipes

    Traditional Irish Barmbrack Bread (Tea Brack)

    Mar 5, 2015 | by Jennifer | Last Updated: Jun 24, 2021

    Jump to Recipe

    Giving a nod to the Irish with this traditional Irish Barmbrack. This yeast bread is filled with tea-soaked raisins and finished with a swipe of homemade, sweet honey butter.

    Irish barmbrack sliced with butter

    Irish Barmbrack is traditionally served at Halloween. I think it's too good to only enjoy one time per year. I don't think they'd mind if we all just enjoyed it year round.

    This rustic bread is baked as one large round loaf and is filled with raisins that have been soaked in tea overnight (hence the "tea brack" name". The result is a lovely, lightly sweet and fruity bread that is great eaten out of hand or especially nice toasted. The optional sweet, honey butter compliments this bread perfectly and is so easy to mix up at home.

    Ingredients

    • Raisins - A mixture of raisins is nice with this bread. I used 1 cup sultanas, 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup green raisins.
    • Brewed black tea - Black tea is the tea you generally think of as "tea". It's the Orange Pekoe. It's most of the teas at the store that aren't herbal or green.
    • All-purpose flour - I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour for all my breads.
    • Dry active yeast or regular Instant Yeast - quick or rapid rising yeast is not recommended.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • My Best Tips for Baking Yeast Breads
    • Additional Baking Tips
    • Recipe
    • Comments, Questions and Reviews

    My Best Tips for Baking Yeast Breads

    I think most problems people have with baking with yeast, is treating yeast-based recipes like say, a cake recipe, where you just add all the ingredients together, mix together and bake.

    Yeast bread recipes aren't and just can't be that precise. Things like temperature, moisture in the flour your are using, the season your are baking in and rising time that can differ from one kitchen to the next, make yeast recipes less consistent from one kitchen to the next.

    Now that you know this though, that's more than half the battle :) Just trust what you see, how the dough feels and how much it has grown in size as it rises (rather than the clock) and it will all be good!

    1. Be careful with the temperature of your proofing liquid before adding the yeast, so you don't compromise the yeast from the start. If the liquid is too cold, the yeast won't activate. Too hot and it will die. The best temperature range for proofing liquid is 105-110F for Active Dry Yeast.
    2. Always treat the amount of flour specified in yeast-based recipes as "approximate". Flours will vary from kitchen to kitchen and by season, so the amount needed to make a smooth, soft dough will vary.
    3. Given tip #2, I always hold back 1/4-1/3 of the flour specified in a recipe and add in only as much as is needed. If you dump all the flour in at the start, you may find that it is too much and it's difficult to adjust well after that.
    4. Use a large glass measuring cup to proof the dough. The markings on the side make it easy to see when the dough has doubled.
    5. Be patient. Rising times are also "approximate" and will vary as well. Trust what you see and not the clock.

    Additional Baking Tips

    Be sure to check the loaf around the 20 minute mark of baking and if nicely browned, loosely cover the top with tin foil for the last bit of baking, so the loaf doesn't get too brown on top.

    I baked my bread in my cast iron skillet, which I would highly recommend, if you have one. Mine is 8-inches in diameter on the bottom/10-inches in diameter across the top. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, any oven-proof round baking pan around 9 inches will work.

    Irish Barmbrack with Honey Butter

    Recipe

    Irish barmbrack sliced with butter

    Traditional Irish Barmbrack Bread with Honey Butter

    Be sure to remember to soak the raisins overnight in the tea, the night before you want to bake this bread. You can use any raisins. A variety is nice for a pretty loaf.
    Author: Jennifer
    5 stars from 3 ratings
    Print it Pin it + Collection Go to Collections Share by Email
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Bread
    Servings 16 servings

    Ingredients
     

    Bread:

    • 2 cups raisins, I used 1 cup sultanas, 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup green raisins
    • 2 cups strong brewed black tea
    • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
    • 1 tsp grated nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp white sugar
    • 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
    • 4 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into small pieces
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 large egg, beaten

    Honey Butter:

    • 3 Tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
    • 1 Tbsp liquid honey
    Prevent screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Brew 2 cups of hot tea and allow to cool to lukewarm. Add tea to a a medium glass bowl. Add the raisins, stir and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave to soak on the counter overnight.
    • In a small bowl, combine the dry active yeast with 1/4 cup lukewarm water (about 110F) and set aside to proof while you proceed with the recipe.
    • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine 3 1/2 cups of the flour, nutmeg, salt and sugar. With a pastry cutter or your fingers (or with the paddle attachment on your mixer), work in the butter in to the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
    • Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave, heat the milk to 110°F. Beat the egg into the milk and then stir into the dry ingredients. Add the proofed yeast mixture, as well. Mix well with a wooden spoon or switch to the kneading hook on a stand mixer. Knead by hand or with the kneading hook until dough starts to come together (adding more flour in small increments, as necessary). Drain the raisins and add to the dough. (I find a sprinkling of flour on to the raisins help them to incorporate in to the dough more easily). Knead in the raisins, adding a bit more flour as necessary, until you have a smooth dough that is not sticky.
    • Remove dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size.
    • Grease an 10-inch (top diameter) cast-iron skillet or 9-inch round baking pan and pre-heat oven to 400° F.
    • Turn risen dough out on to a floured surface. Press lightly to de-gas, then form in to a round by pinching the dough underneath. Place dough round in to prepared pan. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes more.
    • Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, then check the bread. If it is nicely browned, cover top loosely with a piece of tinfoil, then continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes or so, or until an internal temperature of about 195°F. about 35-40 Let cool completely before cutting into slices. Serve spread with butter or honey butter.
    • For honey butter: combine ingredients in a small bowl and stir vigorously until well combined.

    Notes

    Be sure to read the “Ingredient and Cook's Notes" (above the recipe card!), where I share more detailed  tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.5mg

    Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.

    Course Bread
    Cuisine Irish
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    Meet the Author:
    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!

    I love to share the classic recipes that I have enjoyed for years, as well as newer discoveries, that have become fast favourites.
    More about me here ...


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan says

      October 31, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      Just had my first slice of bread and honey butter. SO DELICIOUS. This is my second time making bread, ever. The directions were easy to follow. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 31, 2021 at 6:53 pm

        So glad to hear, Susan! I love this bread and make it often throughout the year, too. Thanks so much :)

        Reply
    2. SLP says

      March 20, 2021 at 7:49 am

      Watch out! You cannot stop at just one slice! A big hit with all in the family!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 20, 2021 at 8:50 am

        So glad to hear :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    3. Melanie Hamilton says

      October 14, 2020 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Hi, Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I am letting the dough rise now and excited to try it. One question - is the dough supposed to be more like a batter or a bread dough? I think I may've added too much flour if it's supposed to be cake-like. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 14, 2020 at 11:29 am

        Hi Melanie and no worries, I think you're good. It should be a pretty standard yeast dough and definitely not batter-like. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Bonnie White says

      April 01, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      I am a little confused with the instructions. It says to add the yeast and then later it says to add the proofed yeast. Did I misread this? Do you mean clarifying please? I am soaking my raisins in a cinnamon apple tea (I don't drink black or green tea). I am looking forward to making this tomorrow.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        April 01, 2020 at 7:23 pm

        Hi Bonnie and sorry, yes that is confusing. I use instant yeast personally, which I don't proof, so my instructions sometimes end up a hybrid of the two methods. I have correct the instructions so they should be more clear now :) Thanks!

        Reply
    5. Erin Graham says

      March 13, 2015 at 9:48 am

      Sounds delish! I will have to try it.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 13, 2015 at 9:50 am

        It's really great bread, Erin. A must-try if you are a raisin bread fan!

        Reply
    6. Sophie says

      March 10, 2015 at 10:47 am

      The texture of your loaf here looks wonderful! Can't wait to try my own :)

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 10, 2015 at 10:50 am

        I definitely recommend Sophie! Especially if you are a raisin bread lover. Lots of raisins in this one :)

        Reply
    7. CJ says

      March 10, 2015 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      I made this bread over the weekend and found that two cups of raisins is a great plenty. After slicing I made french toast for breakfast placing a cream cheese layer with raspberry jam on top; it was delicious. I did bake this in my cast iron skillet -- how do you keep the bottom of the bread from getting so dark, almost burnt when you use the cast iron? I covered the top as instructed.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 10, 2015 at 10:49 am

        Hi CJ! Love the sound of your French Toast. I was hoping to have some left for French Toast or bread pudding, but my husband made short work of my loaf!

        As for the bottom browning too much in the skillet, I don't seem to have that problem myself. I certainly had a top-browning issue, but covering worked well. Maybe move your rack up one level?

        Reply
    8. Sarah | Broma Bakery says

      March 09, 2015 at 2:36 pm

      Tea-soaked raisins? Honey butter? I want in on this.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 09, 2015 at 2:40 pm

        You would love it, Sarah! The honey butter would be nice with your Irish Soda Bread, too :)

        Reply
    9. [email protected] says

      March 08, 2015 at 2:24 pm

      I am not even a teensy bit Irish but Irish bread...come on...who doesn't love it-easy and delicious! I love the tea-soaked raisins and can't wait to try out this beautiful recipe!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 08, 2015 at 7:00 pm

        Thanks :) It's very addicting bread, Julia (especially toasted!)

        Reply
    10. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      March 05, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      I would absolutely devour this bread and I love the side of honey butter!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 05, 2015 at 7:07 pm

        Thanks Laura. The honey butter is perfect with this bread!

        Reply
    11. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      March 05, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      I've never heard of a barmbrack bread before.. but I sure do love spiced breads so this is a must make recipe for me!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 05, 2015 at 7:06 pm

        I'm sure you'd love this, Thalia! :)

        Reply
    12. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

      March 05, 2015 at 1:03 pm

      I need some more Irish luck in my life, and this bread is just the ticket! What a delight!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 05, 2015 at 7:05 pm

        Thanks Katrina. I think so! :)

        Reply
    13. Jessica | A Happy Food Dance says

      March 05, 2015 at 10:34 am

      This bread looks beautiful! I've only made irish soda bread, I'm going to definitely have to try this barmbrack bread. Nothing beats homemade bread!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        March 05, 2015 at 10:41 am

        This bread was delicious, Jessica. I love it toasted, with melted butter. Heaven!

        Reply

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