This traditional Irish treat gets its name from the bits of fruit which give the bread a freckled appearance. Our recipe calls for dates, but you can also add raisins or cranberries if you’d like.
Serves 32
- 2-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2-1/2 cups white flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 packages fast-rise yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup cooked mashed potatoes
- 1 cup chopped dates
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large bowl, combine together 1 cup of the whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of the white flour, the sugar, the undissolved yeast, and the salt.
Heat butter and water together until very warm (125F to 130F); gradually stir the warm liquids into the dry ingredients.
Stir in eggs, mashed potatoes, dates and the additional flours to make a soft dough; add a few more tbsp of the white flour if need be.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and let rest on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; shape into 4 slender loaves– about 8-1/2 inches long. Set 2 loaves side-by-side in each of 2 well-greased 8-1/2 by-4-1/2 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
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