Spotted Dog (Irish Fruit Soda Bread)
Kitchen Tested 
- Yield 10 servings
- Prep 10 mins
- Cook 15 mins
Studded with dried fruit, this Irish bread is great toasted with butter.
Mark Boughton
A traditional soda bread, Spotted Dog is delicious warm from the oven, and day-old bread is great toasted with lots of melting butter and a cup of Irish breakfast tea.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and raisins in a large bowl. Slowly add buttermilk and mix until well combined. (Dough will be wet.) Turn dough out onto a floured board and form into a round (about 8-inch diameter). Make a cross in the dough by lightly cutting through about a half-inch depth across the dough in both directions. (This is said to “let the fairies out,” but really it aids in even baking.)
- Place dough round on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400F and continue baking bread 30 minutes.
- Remove bread from the oven, turn it over and tap the bottom. It will sound hollow when done. Place on a rack to cool. Serve warm or toasted with butter and jam.
Recipe by Diane Stopford
