Barmbrack (Irish Tea-Soaked Fruit Loaf)
Local name: Bairín breac
In short: A moist fruit loaf made with dried fruit soaked overnight in strong tea, lightly spiced and sliced thick for buttering at teatime. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 10 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Resting
- 8 h
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 265 kcal
Barmbrack is Ireland's fruit loaf, sliced and buttered at teatime and traditionally baked for Halloween. Classic versions use yeast, but the tea-soaked brack that most home bakers make needs no rising: dried fruit plumps overnight in strong tea, then sugar, an egg and flour make the batter. It slices neatly, keeps well and tastes best spread with butter.
Instructions
- Put the dried fruit in a bowl, pour over the hot tea and the whiskey, if using, and stir. Cover and leave overnight, or at least 8 hours, until plump.
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and line a 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan, about 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 in), with baking paper.
- Stir the sugar, egg and orange zest into the fruit and any tea left in the bowl.
- Sift in the flour, mixed spice and salt and fold gently until just combined. The batter will be loose and wet.
- Spoon the batter into the pan and level the top. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack. Wrap once cold and let it rest for a day before slicing thickly and spreading with butter.
Tips
- Soak the fruit overnight if you can. Plump, tea-soaked fruit keeps the loaf moist and gives it its lightly tannic flavor.
- Slices toast well on day 3 or 4, buttered while still warm. Wrap tightly so the loaf does not dry out.
Questions and answers
Is barmbrack made with yeast?
Many classic recipes are, with a bread-like crumb. The tea-soaked version here, often called tea brack, uses self-raising flour and is closer to a loaf cake. Both are called brack in Ireland.
How long does barmbrack keep?
Wrapped well, it keeps for a week and improves after the first day. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Can I make barmbrack without alcohol?
Yes. Leave out the whiskey. The tea alone gives plenty of moisture and flavor.
How long does it take to make Barmbrack (Irish Tea-Soaked Fruit Loaf)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Barmbrack (Irish Tea-Soaked Fruit Loaf)?
About 265 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 60 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 265 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 38 g |
| Sodium | 150 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
