Spotted Dog (Irish Fruit Soda Bread)

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Studded with dried fruit, this Irish bread is great toasted with butter.


A traditional soda bread, Spotted Dog is delicious warm from the oven, and day-old bread is great toasted with lots of melting butter and a cup of Irish breakfast tea.


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Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and raisins in a large bowl. Slowly add buttermilk and mix until well combined. (Dough will be wet.) Turn dough out onto a floured board and form into a round (about 8-inch diameter). Make a cross in the dough by lightly cutting through about a half-inch depth across the dough in both directions. (This is said to “let the fairies out,” but really it aids in even baking.)

Place dough round on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 F and continue baking bread 30 minutes.
Remove bread from the oven, turn it over and tap the bottom. It will sound hollow when done. Place on a rack to cool. Serve warm or toasted with butter and jam.
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Nutritional Information:
Per serving
200 calories
1 g fat
0 g saturated fat
0 g polyunsaturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
190 mg sodium
140 mg potassium
42 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
8 g sugar
6 g protein

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