• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tasty Ever After
  • Search for Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
×

Home » Homemade Bread and Rolls

Spotted Dog Recipe

03/10/2015 Updated: 04/14/2021 By Karrie Leave a Comment

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yummly
  • Reddit
Skip to Recipe
Spotted Dog Recipe of Irish bread with dried fruit

This Spotted Dog recipe is an easy Irish soda bread made with dried fruit and is ready to eat in less than 1 hour! Perfect accompaniment for a St Patrick's Day menu or anytime you need a quick bread.

Spotted Dog recipe for a loaf of dried fruit Irish bread.

This Spotted Dog recipe is an Irish classic! It's a super easy soda quick bread made with currants or raisins (that's the spotted part!) 

My variation has dried cranberries in it, but feel free to make it your own by adding whatever dried fruit you prefer.

How to make a quick bread

A quick bread is made from a very simple, easy dough with minimal preparation and time.

Baking powder and/or baking soda are used as the leavening agent, so no yeast means no rising time!

The bread can be baked immediately after mixing it up, hence the name "quick bread".

Here's how to make it:

  • Be sure to sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together, so there's no clumps.
  • When mixing up the dough, DON'T KNEAD IT, like yeast bread dough. Instead lightly mix it, just enough to incorporate all the ingredients together and form the loaf.  I treat it like I'm making biscuits and try to keep some of the butter pieces whole throughout the dough.
  • After the dough is formed into a round loaf, cut a 'X' on top before going into the oven.
Step by step photos of making a fruited Irish soda bread

Spotted Dog is delicious served warm from the oven, spread with butter.

Every year I make a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner for St Patrick's Day and serve it with this bread. 

Even though this bread is better when eaten the same day, the crispy crust allows for the bread to stay fresher longer.

The tender interior stays moist surrounded by a nicely browned exterior.

Crispy crust of a browned loaf of soda bread

The leftovers are also wonderful toasted up the next morning or turned into this Cranberry Irish French Toast with Whiskey Butter.

Is a Spotted Dog the same as a Spotted Dick recipe

A spotted dick is a British steamed dessert pudding (cake) with dried fruit in the dough, so it looks spotted.

It's sometimes referred to as a spotted dog, as the terms "dick" and "dog" have been used interchangeably in the past to describe a pudding.

Obviously, it's completely different and not at all the same as an Irish spotted dog soda bread.

Bread loaf cut in half showing dried cranberries in interior

More Irish recipes 

  • Irish Stout Lamb Stew
  • Slow Cooker Colcannon
  • Irish French Toast
  • Blueberry Granola Soda Bread
  • Irish Coffee

Enjoy making this super easy and quick version of Irish Spotted Dog bread!  Please let me know in the comments below how you like it and what dried fruit you used in the recipe.

Irish Spotted Dog

Spotted Dog is an Irish soda bread made with dried fruit and is ready to eat in less than 1 hour!  Perfect accompaniment for a St Patrick's Day menu or anytime you need a quick bread.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 1777kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • ¾ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk, if needed to moisten
  • Optional: serve with Irish Coffee
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F/190C degrees.
  • In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon baking powder. Mix 3 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or use your fingers. Add ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the ¾ cup plain yogurt and 1 egg. Add the yogurt/egg mixture to the flour mixture and GENTLY mix with your hands to form a round loaf. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk, as needed, to moisten the dough. 
  • Place the round loaf on a parchment paper or silpat lined cookie sheet. Take a knife and lightly cut a 'X' on the top of loaf. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on top.
  • Transfer loaf to wire rack and let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Recipe Notes & Tips:

  • Quick breads are best eaten the day they are made.  To store leftovers, place bread in a sealed plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • For longer storage, freeze in a freezer proof bag for up to 3 months.
  • Got leftovers?  Make this Cranberry Irish French Toast
Nutrition Facts
Irish Spotted Dog
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1777 Calories from Fat 432
% Daily Value*
Fat 48g74%
Saturated Fat 27g135%
Cholesterol 279mg93%
Sodium 1261mg53%
Potassium 815mg23%
Carbohydrates 301g100%
Fiber 10g40%
Sugar 99g110%
Protein 38g76%
Vitamin A 1470IU29%
Vitamin C 0.9mg1%
Calcium 398mg40%
Iron 12.7mg71%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter

More Homemade Bread and Rolls

  • Easy Pumpkin Bread
  • Blueberry Granola Soda Bread Recipe
  • Leek Focaccia with Feta and Toasted Pine Nuts
  • Carrot Cake Donuts {with brandy candied walnuts}

 ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Picture of food blogger Tasty Ever After

Thank you for visiting Tasty Ever After and I'm Karrie! I hope you enjoy spending some time here finding easy scratch made recipes for the home cook.

More about me →

Popular

  • Banana Cream Pie Recipe {from scratch}
  • The BEST Graham Cracker Crust
  • How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
  • Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Let's Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact me here!

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com

Copyright © 2023 Tasty Ever After