Bara Brith - Speckled Bread from Wales

If you'd told me last year that I'd be swooning over a bread filled with raisins and currants, I probably would have asked if I could sub those raisins for chocolate chips. You're going to have to trust me on this one. 

The Welsh are onto something - Bara Brith is an absolute treat. 

*this post is sponsored by my friends at Imperial Sugar

What exactly is Bara Brith?

You'll find Bara Brith, or "speckled bread," throughout Wales any time of year and especially for St. David's Day in March. Loaded with tea and brown sugar-soaked currants and raisins, this spiced bread is also perfect for Christmas time. 

When we visited Wales this year, I had a slice and a latte for breakfast at the bakery across the street from our hotel.

Wrap it up and gift to the neighbors, or enjoy it with a pot of tea and lots of butter. I recommend Kerrygold spreadable butter. 

I should mention that it's super, SUPER easy to make. You might even ask yourself if you missed a step because it's so simple. I have to give credit to my mother-in-law - this recipe is a tweaked version of one she sent me a few years ago. 

Let's make Bara Brith.

The recipe starts the night before baking. You'll soak raisins (dark or golden) and currants in tea and dark brown sugar, Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar, of course!

For the tea, you can use any black tea, but I love to use Constant Comment®. It's a black tea flavored with orange peel and spices, so the fruit gets a little flavor boost as it soaks. 

The next day, uncover the soaked fruit and take a big sniff. It smells...wonderfully boozy without any booze! Ahhhhh. DO NOT drain the fruit. 

Zest up an orange and add to the soaked fruit. 

Mix up the simple batter, and add the fruit and the soaking liquid. Stir in the Greek yogurt to bring it all together. 

Pour into a prepared pan. [NOTE: I found in testing that bringing the parchment up the sides of the loaf pan isn't necessary. Follow the recipe where it notes to line the bottom only.]

Because of the heavy, soaked fruit, the baking time is a bit longer than other quick breads you might be used to making. Maybe chocolate banana date bread, pumpkin bread, or pecan ginger carrot bread.

Brush the warm loaf with honey and cool. Try to avoid cutting into it until it is cooled or mostly cooled. I have to admit, slicing when it's still just a bit warm is not a bad idea. As long as it's cool enough to not fall apart when sliced. 

Slice thin and serve with softened butter. 

Wales, I love you. 

The full recipe is hosted on Imperial Sugar. Click over to print or save for later!