Food porn -- barm brack (spiced teabread)

[julesjones]

alg is asking for recipes for white bread, suitable for people who do not have a bread machine. This reminded me that I'd meant to post the recipe for barm brack (which is a spiced tea bread, not a plain white bread), and I don't seem to have done so, or at least have failed to tag it if I did. I'd credit the book I got this from, only I can't remember which one it was -- probably Favourite Irish Recipes or Irish Teatime Recipes from J Salmon.


Barm Brack

1 1/2 ts dried yeast
1/2 pint warm milk and water mixed
pinch of sugar
1 lb strong white flour
pinch of salt
1 oz butter
4 tb caster sugar
1/4 ts ground ginger
1/4 ts ground nutmeg
1 level ts caraway seeds (can be omitted)
1 egg, beaten
3 oz each currants, sultanas and raisins
1 tb sugar dissolved in 1 dessertspoon hot water for a glaze

Sprinkle yeast over milk/water mixture, add pinch of sugar and leave to stand in warm until frothy; about 15 minutes. Sift flour and salt into a bowl, rub in butter and stir in sugar, spice and caraway seeds. Make a well in centre and stir in beaten egg and yeast mixture, then add fruit and peel. Beat well together until dough leaves side of bowl, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes until mixture is elastic. Place in clean bowl, cover and leave in warm for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk. Turn out and knead again lightly. Divide dough in half, place in two greased 7 inch round cake tins, cover and prove for about 15 minutes. Set oven to 450F or Mark 8. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 400F or Mark 6 and bake for further 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from tins and tap base of loaves; they will sound hollow if fully cooked. Glaze and return to oven for further 2 to 3 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve sliced with butter.


My notes:
- imperial measures for British flour
- "strong white flour" is a British bread-making flour with a high gluten content; Americans can probably use "all purpose flour", but as Mishalak has pointed out should use bread flour if available
- Americans may need to adjust amount of liquid, as different flours absorb different amounts of liquid
- caster sugar is "fine granulated" in US
- temperatures in Celcius are 230 and 200 - reduce temperature and cooking time for fanforce ovens.
- caraway seeds aren't necessary and I don't use them because I don't like them
- relatively unspicy - add more ginger and nutmeg if a heavily spiced loaf is preferred
- nice untoasted when fresh, but turns stale by the next day, after which it has to be toasted
- can knead the dough in a bread machine, but to cook it halve the quantities or take it out and divide it or bake it in an oven, because this quantity will escape from a 2 pound bread machine loaf pan.
- it's traditional in some areas to soak the dried fruit overnight in tea before using it in this recipe. Soaking makes the fruit plump, but tea is often too bitter for this supertaster when made Irish-style, and you've got to remember to soak the fruit the night before...

Comments

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

No, Americans should use bread flour I expect. Cooks Illustrated notes that if all purpose flour is used instead of bread flour in making bread it comes out lacking, "strong structure and optimum chew". I think it will work, but there is less gluten developed by all purpose flour due to its lower protein content.

[julesjones]

Edited to add that, thanks. Bread varies a lot by region and some US all purpose you can get away with, while British flour you definitely can't.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Have you tried this in a breadmaker?

[julesjones]

Yes -- the first time I made the mistake of using the full quantity, and it escaped during the rising and made a horrible mess. But if you use half or third quantities, it seems to work well. Watch it carefully the first time, though.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Thanks
:-)
I have breadmaker but no white four until the next shopping trip. Maybe wholemeal bread flour?

[julesjones]

Remember that wholemeal flour is trickier to work with than white flour when it comes to making bread, as it has less gluten. You may need to adjust the yeast to get a full rise. But it's worth trying, if you don't mind potentially wasting it.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

In the breadmaker you tend to use an extra half teaspoon of yeast for wholemeal and it's still much 'cakeier' in texture (which I like). I don't like commercial wholemeal... too spongy.