Friday, March 13, 2015

Spotted Dog: An Irish Tea Cake


     I had to go pretty far back on my family tree to find my Irish roots, but they're definitely there.  Just enough of them, I suppose, to appreciate this beautiful loaf of what I've always called Irish Soda bread, even though now I've discovered that it really isn't.


     Did you know that there are rules for making Irish Soda Bread? The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread tells us that any ingredient other than flour, baking soda, sour milk and salt make your loaf an imposter. This loaf, my friends, is definitely an imposter. A tasty one, but an imposter nonetheless.


     This loaf has a bit of added sugar, some butter, a lot of currants- ingredients that deny it the title of an authentic Irish Soda bread, but make it oh-so-delicious. The lovely loaf they do make is called Spotted Dog. I think I like that even better.


     Spotted Dog is a quick and easy loaf to put together to enjoy at breakfast or tea time. Warm out of the oven and slathered with butter? That would be the top o' my mornin' for sure! Leftovers make a great toast too.
     This recipe makes two loaves; enjoy one now and freeze one for later. Better yet, share with a friend. Just please make sure you cut a deep X  into the top of your loaf before baking. Why? To let the fairies out, of course. Who wants to suffer the wrath of toasted fairies? :)


Spotted Dog: An Irish Tea Cake
Adapted from this recipe and this recipe
Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick) cut into small cubes
2 cups currants or raisins
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.
  • In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
  • Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork or dough blender until mixture resembles large crumbs.
  • Stir in currants or raisins.
  • Whisk together the beaten egg, the buttermilk, and the vanilla extract.
  • Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients.
  • Pour buttermilk mixture into the well and gently mix together until the dough is evenly blended. Do not over-mix.
  • Turn sticky dough out onto a generously floured surface. With floured hands, gently knead dough just enough (just flop it over a couple of times) and form into two softball sized balls of dough. Do not over-knead! It will make your bread/cake tough. You don't need your dough to be smooth and shiny- you want a nice craggy surface to make that beautiful crust!
  • Place your dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet and slightly flatten them into round loaves. Leave plenty of room between your loaves for rising.
  • Cut an X shape into the top of each loaf, all the way to the edges. This lets the fairies out!
  • Bake for 40 minutes, or until loaves are browned and sound hollow when you tap them.
  • Slice, slather with butter, and enjoy!

33 comments:

  1. It seems absolutely delicious, perfect for teatime or breakfast!

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  2. And here I sit with a nice strong cuppa... and none of this bread to enjoy with it! It looks great:@)

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  3. I'm so glad you posted this recipe as I was about to make an "imposter" myself. I'll be sure to share a little of the history and, perhaps, call it "spotted dog" instead. Whatever it is named, it looks delicious.

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  4. Looks delicious! Trade you a few of my oatmeal cookies for a slice of your Spotted Dog..just love that name ;)

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  5. Did not know there is a society for the preservation of soda bread........interesting post. Love the way your "spotted" bread looks.

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  6. I visited Ireland once so I think I qualify for a slice? This looks scrumptious, I've book-marked the recipe :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  7. I baked spotted dog a few years ago and I loved it a lot. Yours looks fantastic, Betty.

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  8. What a great loaf. I never knew that about soda bread.

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  9. Imposter or not, your loaf looks divine! Beautifully done.

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  10. Wow Betty ! We love a good Irish bread like this one because to us, they always tasted like a cake! ... that's how delicious they are! LOVE this recipe! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. This bread looks wonderful, Betty, and "spotted dog" sounds good to me! : ) I learned a lot reading this post so thank you! Love that the recipe makes 2; the freezer is a very good friend to me these days.

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  12. What a scrumptious loaf, Betty! I had soda bread on my baking list for this month, but I don't think I'll get to it before St. Patrick's Day--phooey! I'd love a big slice of yours smeared with butter :)

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  13. I love your imposter version! It really does sound delicious with the added extras. I'd probably never be accepted into that society anyway ;)

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  14. This bread looks delicious! I guess mine is an imposter too because I always add raisins (soaked in whiskey) and caraway seeds to mine. :-) That's okay though!

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  15. I think Spotted Dog is the way to go! I've never made Irish Soda bread and after seeing this imposter, I probably never will. It's beautiful, Betty! I had to smile at the toasted fairies :)

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  16. I love the name of the loaf, and I love the way it looks! I'm half Irish, and I'd love to celebrate St. Patrick's day with a Spotted Dog.

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  17. I love Soda bread and this looks even better! I also didn't get to making it. We have been trying to be good and bread of any kind is my personal weakness. This would have disappeared in a wink at my house!

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  18. This looks fantastic!!! Love to grab a slice

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  19. those other ingredients might make keep this from being an authentic loaf of irish soda bread, but i appreciate their presence nonetheless. :)

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    1. I agree - maybe what we lose in authenticity we make up for in beautiful appearance and taste. Looks delightful!

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  20. That's so funny that there are rules for making Irish Soda Bread. I love how full of currants yours is!

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  21. Oh yes please! Did I mention that we live in the same city - I could pick up a loaf if you have an extra that needs a home. You KNOW I would love this! It is absolutely gorgeous. Hope you enjoyed your "green" day at school. It was a lovely one!

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  22. Such a fun name for a loaf! Imposter or not, it looks fabulous! A few slices with a cup of warm tea, that would be really nice!

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  23. Yum. I love Irish Tea Cake/Soda Bread. They are so easy to prepare. I love the fact that you packed it with currents! It's sad to break into a bread with only a few scattering around. ;) Yours make me happy and I can't wait to try it.

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  24. Oh Betty, this cake looks so good...I have never had anything like this, I really can see myself having this cake with a cup of tea or coffee..
    Hope you are enjoying your week :)

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  25. It looks delicious and it's so photogenic..Love the fairy story~

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  26. I love this, I learned to love it when my husband and I spent a year in London, but I've never made it, thanks for the inspiration! I even have a bag of currents in the cupboard!

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  27. Oh my goodness yum! I have all of the ingredients too! Except the buttermilk..but I can make that myself. NEED to try this sometime!

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  28. What a beautiful, rustic bread! My kind of food! So nice to see a recipe that doesn't have alcohol or the color green in it for St. Patrick's Day! Even though I do like my cocktail and green is one of my favorite colors! Hope yours was delightful!
    Roz

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  29. Hi Betty,

    I like this rustic tea cake. I see that it is perfect for our everyday cuppa and nice that every slice is fully packed with currant or raisins.

    Zoe

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  30. Love this lovely tea cake! I would be happy to have it everyday!

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  31. Making this today! Love you, roomie!

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  32. P.S. Going to try it with honey instead of white sugar ... will let you know what happens. (Researched how to substitute honey for sugar, so I'm hoping it works!)

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Thanks for stopping by scrambled hen fruit! I appreciate all of your comments and look forward to reading them.

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