Halloween Bread from Starter/discard

★★★★

Baked Goods, Breads, Holiday

Difficulty: Easy Servings: 1 4x9 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup raisins of your choice
Irish whiskey, rum or water

1 cup of starter
3 T. Brown sugar (+3T. if you are omitting the raisins)
1/2 cup milk or cream 
2 T. Irish Whiskey or water if you are omitting the raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups bread or AP flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
Rounded 1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
Rounded 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon ginger
Rounded 1/4 tsp. mace
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

4x9 loaf pan or 5x9 disposable loaf pan

Description

Barmbrack, or more correctly Báirín Breac, is a traditional Irish bread, often served with tea.
For Samhain it is made with more spices than normal and in the past, had trinkets, like rings and coins added.

I included adjustments to make it without raisins.

Directions

Place the raisins in a bowl and pour enough whiskey or water to cover. Warm in a pan or the microwave. Let soak until nice and plump. Drain.
In a stand mixer place the starter, sugar, milk, salt, egg, vanilla, and spices. Incorporate the flour a little at a time until well mixed. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add raisins, and chocolate chips if using, and mix until combined. Scrape down the dough from the sides, lightly oil the bowl and top of the dough.
Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
Lightly oil your pan. 
Pull the dough out and spread into your pan.
Very lightly oil the top and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake 30-45 minutes, until browned and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 F.
Move to a cooling rack. Allow to cool before covering or cutting. Serve with butter.

Nutrition