Fruit and Spice Soda Bread is a traditional Irish recipe for a classic rich fruited and spiced tea soda bread typically served with tea. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Irish version of: Fruit and Spice Soda Bread.
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A traditional Irish tea-time loaf that uses bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast - this version is sweetly spiced with fruit and oats for a tea-time treat.
Ingredients:
100g rolled porridge oat
25g butter, diced
200g plain flour
200g plain wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
100g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 ½ tsp mixed spice
50g raisins
50g sultanas
50g pitted dates, finely chopped
3 tbsp mixed peel
450ml buttermilk
3–4 tbsp demerara sugar
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6).
Whizz the porridge oats and butter together in a food processor, or rub the butter into the oats with your fingertips in a big bowl. Stir in the flours, caster sugar, bicarb, mixed spice, 1 tsp salt, the raisins, sultanas, dates and mixed peel.
Pour over the buttermilk and quickly stir in with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto a flour-dusted work surface and gently bring the ingredients together as a ball with your hands (don't over-work the dough).
Transfer to a flour-dusted baking tray and scatter over the demerara sugar, pressing it into the top. Use a sharp, flour-dusted knife to cut a big cross in the top.
Transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until crusty on the outside.
Eat warm or cold, thickly sliced and spread with butter.
