Irish Freckle Bread

Irish freckle bread gets its name from the raisins scattered through the dough like little freckles. This is a potato bread at heart, enriched with both mashed potatoes and potato water, which gives it a tender, almost cake-like crumb that stays soft for days.

The potato water is the liquid left from boiling potatoes, and it’s loaded with starch that feeds the yeast and softens the gluten structure. Warming it with margarine before adding to the flour activates the yeast gently without killing it. The margarine doesn’t even need to fully melt at this stage.

Ten minutes of kneading develops the dough into something smooth and elastic. The raisins get folded in at the end so they stay whole rather than getting crushed during kneading. Two slender loaves side by side in each pan gives the finished bread a distinctive twin-peak shape.

Chef Tips

• Save your potato water when you boil potatoes for another meal. It freezes well and is worth keeping specifically for bread baking.
• Bring the eggs to room temperature before adding. Cold eggs shock the yeast and slow the rise.
• The dough is ready when it springs back when you poke it with a finger. If the indent stays, give it more time.

Variations

• Currant version: Swap raisins for dried currants for a more traditional Irish bread flavor with smaller, tarter fruit.
• Cinnamon freckle bread: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mixture for a warmly spiced loaf that’s great toasted with butter.