Tea brack is Irish fruit loaf — dried fruit soaked overnight in strong black tea, then baked into a dense, moist, sweet loaf. Different from barmbrack (which uses yeast). Eaten sliced with butter.
Tea brack is the quicker cousin of barmbrack — both are Irish fruit breads, but brack uses tea-soaked fruit and baking powder (no yeast). The tea serves two purposes: it rehydrates the dried fruit and adds tannin depth to the bread. 'Brack' comes from the Irish 'breac', meaning 'speckled' (from the fruit).
A dense, dark, fruit-studded slice. The fruit (raisins, sultanas, mixed peel) is the main attraction — the bread is almost a vehicle. The tea's tannins give a subtle depth. Moist, sweet, and perfect with butter.
The overnight tea soak rehydrates the dried fruit (raising its moisture content from ~15% to ~50%), which then releases moisture during baking, keeping the bread moist for days. The tea's tannins bind to proteins, giving a slight astringency that balances the fruit's sweetness. Baking powder provides the only leavening.
Variations
Some add whiskey; the fruit mix varies; some add eggs for richness.
On the Palate
Where Tea Brack sits in the Irish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour active + 23 hours waiting
- 1720 min
Soak dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, mixed peel) in strong hot tea overnight.
Watch outSoak the fruit overnight until it's plump and the tea's nearly all drunk up — skimp on this and the loaf bakes up dry and crumbly.
- 22 min
Next day: preheat oven to 170°C.
- 35 min
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
- 45 min
Add the soaked fruit and its tea.
- 55 min
Add beaten egg; mix to a soft batter.
- 665 min
Pour into a lined loaf tin; bake 60-70 min until set.
Watch outTest with a skewer at the center — it should come out clean; this dense, wet batter reads underdone easily, so give it the full time.
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