Irish Freckle Bread

5 from 2 votes

This easy Irish Freckle Bread is similar to French Brioche with a sweet dough that's enriched with potato water, butter and eggs. The fun difference? Freckles of delicious dried fruit!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Rising Time2 15

Total Time3 5

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Irish, Irish Inspired

Keyword: Irish Freckle Rolls, Irish Yeast Rolls

Servings:

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the rolls:

6 tablespoons butter I use salted butter
¾ cup tap water
¼ cup instant potato flakes
4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt I use Morton - you'll need a bit more if you use Diamond
¾ ounce instant yeast 2¼ teaspoons or 1 packet
1 cup currants raisins or other dried fruit
¾ cup milk
2 large eggs

For the egg wash:

1 large egg
1 teaspoon water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the prep:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for 2 larger loaves.
For the individual rolls, line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the dough:

Place the butter and water in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl or cup and cook on high power for 2 minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir in the potato flakes. Set aside while you prep the dry ingredients.
Combine flour, salt, yeast, and sugar in a medium-large bowl. Stir well to combine.
Add the “freckles” (dried fruit) and stir. Run your fingers through the dough, rubbing them together to break apart any clumps of dried fruit
Add the milk to the butter/water mixture and stir with a fork to combine. Add the eggs and stir again with the fork until incorporated.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the egg/milk mixture. Stir, from the bottom up, until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass.
The dough will be thick. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl until every last bit of flour is incorporated.

For the kneading:

Sprinkle a work surface with 2 tablespoons of flour. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and use a baking scraper or spatula to turn the dough to coat with flour.
Knead for 1-2 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
Place the dough in the bowl and drizzle with a little oil (I use olive oil but any oil will do). Use your hand to rub the dough to coat it with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm, cozy place to rise. (see Café Tips above in the post for how to create a perfect rising spot) for 1 ½ hours or until the dough is doubled in size.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour onto a work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Turn the dough with a dough scraper or spatula until it’s thoroughly coated with flour.
Divide the dough in half for 2 loaves OR into 18-20 smaller portions for rolls. I make my smaller rolls about 2-2 ½ ounces (or 50-70g). (I like to use a kitchen scale for this but you can also just eyeball it.)

For 2 larger loaves:

Roll both balls of dough in the flour to coat.
For the 2 larger loaves, form each one into a ball by tucking the edges under all the way around and then pinching the dough together tightly underneath. If the dough seems sticky, roll it in the flour again.
Place the balls of dough on the counter and use your hands to cup each one into a nicely shaped ball. Transfer the 2 dough balls to the prepared sheet pan and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Place the pan in a warm spot to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. During the last 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Combine the egg and the water and stir vigorously with a fork until well combined. Brush the loaves with the egg wash, being careful to keep the egg from dripping onto the parchment.
Bake for 25 minutes then cover the loaves lightly with foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. (If you want to check for doneness, you can use an instant thermometer which will read 185-195˚F. when the bread is done.)

For individual rolls:

Roll each ball of dough in the flour to coat.
Form each portion into a ball by tucking the edges under all the way around then pinching the dough together underneath. If the dough seems sticky, roll it in the flour again.
Place the balls of dough on the counter and use your hands to cup each one into a nicely shaped ball. Transfer the dough balls to the prepared sheet pans and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Place the pans in a warm spot to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. During the last 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Combine the egg and the water and stir vigorously with a fork until well combined. Brush the rolls with the egg wash, being careful to keep the egg from dripping onto the parchment.
Place the rolls in the oven on two racks near the center of the oven. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool completely before storing.

For storing:

When completely cooled the loaves and/or rolls can be transferred to an airtight container or ziplock bag. They can also be frozen. Warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition