Spotted Dick Bread Recipes

SPOTTED DICK BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Put the flour, salt, sugar, bicarb, suet, candied peel, currants and citrus zest into a bowl and mix really well.
• Make a little well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, using a palette knife to bring the mixture together. Tip it out onto a work surface and gently bring the dough together, without kneading it - you don't want to overwork it.
• Place the dough onto the prepared baking tray and flatten it down, then use a sharp knife to make four cuts all the way through, to create eight triangles. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
• While the bread is baking, make the butter. Have ready a colander lined with muslin (or a thin piece of cotton) ready.
• Put the cream into a mixer, or use a hand-held mixer, and whisk. It will quickly get to stiff peaks - just keep it going and then it will separate. As soon as it separates it will change fast - you will be able to hear it. There will be a lot of sloshing, where the water separates from the fat. What you should be left with is crumbly-looking butter and liquid in the base of the bowl.
• Tip the butter into the prepared colander and leave it for the excess liquid to drain off.
• As the dripping slows down, give it a good squeeze to get rid of some more moisture. Add the salt and mix through, then set aside the amount you need for the bread and refrigerate the rest. It will keep in the fridge for a month.
• When the bread comes out of the oven, leave it to cool on a rack for 15 minutes (if you can resist the urge not to eat it straight away!)
• To serve, pull away the triangular wedges of warm bread and spread them with your fresh butter.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Set a round wire rack in bottom of a large stockpot. Set a 5-cup pudding basin or ovenproof bowl (or two 3-cup basins) on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come about three-quarters of the way up sides of basin. Remove basin; dry, and butter inside. Set aside. Cover pot, and bring to a boil.
• Butter a 10-inch round of parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until pieces are no larger than small peas. Stir in sugar, lemon zest, and currants. Stir in lemon juice, then eggs and milk; stir until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared basin. Place parchment round, buttered side down, over basin. Make a pleat in center of parchment. Cover with an 11-inch round of foil. Make a pleat in center of foil to allow room for pudding to expand. Cut a piece of kitchen twine about 7 feet long. Wrap twine twice around basin over foil, just below lip. Knot to secure. Tie loose ends to twine on other side of basin, creating a handle.
• Carefully lower pudding into boiling water, and cover pot. Return to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and steam until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding registers 180 degrees, about 2 hours, adding boiling water occasionally to maintain level.
• Transfer pudding to a wire rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of bowl to loosen; invert pudding onto a serving plate. Serve warm, with creme anglaise if desired.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large mixing bowl sift in the flour and bread soda, add the salt, sugar, and sultanas. Mix well by lifting the flour and fruit up in to your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore hopefully more lightness to your finished bread. Now make a well in the center of the flour. Break the egg into the bottom of your measuring jug, and add the buttermilk to the14 fluid ounce (425 milliliter) line (your egg is part of your liquid measurement). Pour most of this milk and egg into the flour. Using 1 hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. The trick with spotted dick like all soda breads is not to over mix the dough. Mix it as quickly and as gently as possible thus keeping it light and airy. When the dough all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands.
• With floured fingers roll lightly for a few seconds just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a round, pressing to about 2-inch (6 centimeter) in height. Place the dough on a baking tray dusted lightly with flour. With a sharp knife cut a deep cross on it, let the cuts go over the sides of the bread. Prick with knife at the 4 triangles as according to Irish Folklore this is to let the fairies out!
• Put in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 35 minutes or until cooked. If you are in doubt about the bread being cooked, tap the bottom: if it is cooked it will sound hollow. Serve freshly baked, cut into thick slices and smeared with butter and jam. Spotted Dick is also really good eaten with cheese.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
• Note: an Irish tablespoon is the same quantity as an American tablespoon plus a teaspoon.

TRADITIONAL SPOTTED DICK PUDDING RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare a large pot by placing a steam basket or other separator at the bottom. Add a few inches of water to the bottom of the pot.
• Choose a bowl or pudding mold (something heat-safe) that can fit nicely into a pot. Be sure that the water is not touching it at all. Grease the inside of a pudding mold or bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and shortening. Using your fingers, rub the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles small to medium crumbles.
• Next, stir in the brown sugar, fruit, and lemon zest.
• Pour in the milk and stir gently until just incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and lumpy.
• Dump the batter into the greased bowl. Seal off with a piece of parchment paper, then aluminum foil, ensuring to tuck the foil around the brim of the bowl or mold tightly. It should be very well sealed so no water can get inside.
• Fold another piece of parchment lengthwise to form a long strip of paper. Place the strip of paper under the bowl and using the ends of the parchment, lift the bowl and lower the bowl into the pot. This will help ensure you can easily remove the bowl safely once the pudding is finished cooking, as the pot will be very hot.
• Cover the pot and turn the stove to medium heat to simmer the water. Once simmered, lower if needed to maintain a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour & 40 minutes.
• When ready, using the parchment ends, lift the bowl out of the pot. Carefully unwrap the foil and parchment top and check that the pudding is done baking by using a toothpick or knife inserted into the center. If it comes out clean, it is done.
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a large plate. Serve warm.
• For optional custard sauce, place the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk lightly. Set aside. Heat the cream in a small pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally until fully hot (not boiling). While whisking, slowly drizzle the hot cream into the bowl with the eggs. Continue until all the cream is added. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook on medium heat until thickened, whisking constantly. Strain the mixture to capture any small clumps that may have formed. Drizzle custard over the pudding. For thicker custard, allow to cool.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix the flour, suet, sugar, currants and 12 fl.oz. water to a soft dough.
• Shape into a long sausage and wrap in greaseproof paper.
• Fill a pan that is large enough to take the dough sausage, allowing room to expand, with water.
• Bring to the boil.
• Dip a clean tea towel in hot water, wring it out and sprinkle it with flour.
• Roll up the pudding loosely in the cloth and tie at each end.
• Place the pudding in the pan and simmer for 2 hours.
• Remove the tea towel and greaseproof paper, sprinkle with sugar and serve warm with custard.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the suet, currants, sugar, lemon and orange zest.
• Pour in 150ml milk and mix to a firm but moist dough, adding the extra milk if necessary.
• Shape into a fat roll about 20cm long. Place on a large rectangle of baking parchment. Wrap loosely to allow for the pudding to rise and tie the ends with string like a Christmas cracker.
• Place a steamer over a large pan of boiling water, add the pudding to the steamer, cover and steam for 1½ hours. Top up the pan with water from time to time.
• Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve sliced with custard.