Blooming delicious recipes: Darina Allen’s Spotted Dog

This recipe is a hearty favourite over the Christmas season. Serve it with lashings of butter and jam or a tasty local cheddar. 

In some parts of the country, spotted dog is also called railway cake – “a currant for every station” as the saying goes. In my case though, it would be “a sultana for every station”. I prefer them for their more luscious flavour. 

This bread has always been a favourite with our children, freshly made on Sunday mornings for our picnics on the cliffs at Ballyandreen or relished with lashings of butter, jam and steaming mugs of drinking chocolate after a winter walk on Shanagarry strand. 

Ingredients for one round loaf 

450g (1lb/generous 3 cups) plain flour, preferably unbleached 

1 level teasp. bicarbonate of soda 

110g (4 oz) plump sultanas 

1 dessertsp. (2 American teasp.) sugar 

1 level teasp. salt 

1 egg 

350ml (12fl oz/1½ cups) buttermilk (approx.) 

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark. 

• Sieve the flour and bicarb into a large mixing bowl, then add the fruit, sugar and salt. Mix the ingredients well by lifting them up above the bowl and letting them fall loosely back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore more lightness to the finished bread. 

• Now make a well in the centre of the flour. Break the egg into the bottom of the measuring jug, whisking to break it up, then add the buttermilk up to the 400ml (14fl oz/1¾ cups) level, so that the egg makes up part of the total liquid measurement. Pour most of this milk and egg mixture into the flour. 

• With your fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circular movement, drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl. Add more milk and egg mixture if necessary. The dough should be nice and soft, but not too wet and sticky.  

• With spotted dog, as with all soda breads, mix as quickly and as gently as possible to keep the dough light and airy but avoid over-mixing. When it comes together – in a matter of seconds – turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. 

• With floured hands, roll the dough lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a round and press gently with the fingers to about 6cm (2½ inch) high. 

• Transfer the dough onto a baking tray dusted lightly with flour. Mark the top with a deep cross and prick each of the dough triangles with your knife to let the pesky fairies out. 

• Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 35 minutes, until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.  

• Cut into thick slices and spread lavishly with Irish butter and jam. Spotted dog is also really good eaten with slices of cheddar cheese. 

Chef, food writer, and television presenter, Darina Allen, is founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork. Follow Darina @darina_allen and learn more about the school at ballymaloecookeryschool.ie. Remember, always look for the Bord Bia Quality Mark when shopping.