Wake and Bake
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[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]

This traditional Irish bread is characterized by first soaking raisins in tea overnight. However soaking is the only time consuming part—the rest is about as easy a dump-and-stir bread as you can get. It's typically served buttered, but it's just good plain, or with a bit of jam.

About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios

adapted from Irish Traditional Cooking

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About This Recipe

Yield: makes 1 loaf
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, plus overnight soaking
Special equipment: 8 1/2- by 4 1/2- inch loaf pan

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup strongly brewed tea, such as Irish Breakfast, cooled
  • 2 cups (about 10 ounces) self-rising flour
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Old fashioned oats, thick cut if possible

Procedures

  1. Combine raisins and tea in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out any excess flour.

  3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, raisins, and tea. Stir to combine and pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with oats. Bake bread until top is brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.