Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe (Traditional Fruit Bread) 2026

Barmbrack is a raisin bread typical of Ireland . Traditionally, barmbrack was prepared as a family during Samhain , the Celtic "Halloween," and an object, such as a ring or a coin, was hidden in the dough.

According to tradition, each object had a different meaning and would determine the future of the person who found it while eating the barmbrack.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

The most distinctive aspect of this sweet bread is that the raisins in its filling are flavored with black tea and whiskey or rum and spices, which gives it a very particular taste and aroma.

Barmbrack is typically served in thick slices, lightly toasted, and accompanied by butter . This makes it ideal to enjoy with hot tea, a classic Irish afternoon snack, especially in autumn and winter when something sweet and comforting is in the air.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Recipe Information

• Preparation time : 10 minutes
• Cooking time : 45 minutes
• Total time : 55 minutes (plus resting and rising times)
• Servings : 10
• Category : Pastry
• Type of cuisine : Irish
• Calories per serving (kcal) : 278

Barmbrack ingredients

• 180g of raisins
• 250 ml of black tea
• 50 ml of whisky or rum
• 150 ml of lukewarm whole milk
• 50g of white sugar
• 5 g of dried baker's yeast (or 15 grams of fresh yeast)
• 150g of strong flour
• 150g of all-purpose wheat flour
• 25g of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch of salt
• Butter or non-stick cooking spray for greasing

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

How to make the barmbrack

We begin by soaking 180 grams of raisins in 250 ml of black tea and 50 ml of whiskey or rum. We let this mixture macerate for a minimum of 2 hours, although preferably we leave the raisins overnight.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

The next day, mix 150 ml of lukewarm whole milk with 50 grams of white sugar and 5 grams of dried baker's yeast. Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is slightly bubbling.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Next, put in a bowl 150 grams of strong flour, 150 grams of wheat flour, 25 grams of unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 medium egg, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1 pinch of salt and the milk and yeast mixture.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

While we mix and knead the dough, we let the raisins drain completely on a colander.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

We knead the dough for 15 minutes with a mixer or by hand until we see that the dough becomes elastic and shiny.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Once the raisins have drained completely, add them to the dough and knead again for another 5 minutes, until fully incorporated. Form a ball and let it rest, covered, in a warm place until it has doubled in volume.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

After the rising time, which will last between 1 and 2 hours depending on the ambient temperature, we degas the dough on a greased surface, give it a rectangular shape and put it in a rectangular mold of about 25 x 10 cm that we will have greased with butter or non-stick spray.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Let the barmbrack rise again, covered, until it almost reaches the edge of the mold. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) with the top and bottom elements on and bake for 45 minutes. If halfway through baking it starts to brown too much, you can cover it with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Remove the barmbrack from the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes in the pan. Then, unmold it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before serving.

Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe

Easy-to-prepare summary

1. We soak the raisins in the black tea and whiskey or rum for 2 hours or until the next day
2. We mix the milk with the sugar and the yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes
3. We mix the strong flour and all-purpose wheat flour with the butter, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and milk mixture
4. We drained the raisins
5. We knead the dough for 15 minutes
6. Add the raisins to the dough and knead for 5 minutes to incorporate them, shape it into a ball and let it double in volume.
7. We degas the dough, shape it, and place it in a greased mold.
8. We let the dough rise to the edge of the mold and bake it for 45 minutes at 200ºC
9. After two minutes out of the oven, unmold the barmbrack onto a wire rack and serve once it has cooled completely.

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