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This Festive Spiced Soda Bread is a Christmassy twist on a classic Irish soda bread. Full of currants, sultanas, raisins, mixed peel and cranberries, it's flavourful, soft and perfect with a good serving of butter!
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Festive Spiced Soda Bread

This Festive Spiced Soda Bread is a Christmassy twist on a classic Irish soda bread. Full of currants, sultanas, raisins, mixed peel and cranberries, it's flavourful, soft and perfect with a good serving of butter!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 12
Author Annie N

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups (490g) plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice/all spice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 stick (56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 1/4 cups (205g) mixed fruit, see note*
  • 2 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups + 2tbsp (390ml) buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and line a large baking tray with grease proof paper or a silicone sheet.
  • Place the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices into a large bowl with the cubes of cold butter. Either use a pastry cutter, or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour. Continue until you have an even breadcrumb texture.
  • Add in the mixed fruit and cranberries, then stir until coated in flour. Add in the egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract, then mix until your dough becomes one large ball. You don't want it to be sticky, it needs to just come together.
  • Tip the dough onto your prepared baking tray and shape into a rustic round loaf, around 9 inches across. Take a serrated/bread knife and score about 1 inch deep from back to front and side to side.
  • Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until risen, golden all over and an inserted skewer into the centre comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool for 30 minutes before digging in, if you have the patience! Serve warm from the oven, at room temperature, or toasted with butter, jam or Biscoff. Festive Spiced Soda Bread will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for a week.

Notes

*NOTE - I bought a ready mixed bag of mixed fruit. If you don't have access to that, do an even mix of raisins, currants and sultanas, then do a couple of tbsp orange and lemon peel