Irish brown bread can be a meal on it’s own with just a spread of soft salty butter. But typically you’d serve it alongside a bowl of potato soup or Irish beef stew. But it is also greatwith simply butter and fruit chutney or jam. It also pairs will with a sharp cheddar cheese and is perfect cut into smaller slices for a cheese board. We’ve also it thin to use it as sandwich bread too.
Guinness Irish Brown Bread
I adapted this recipe from the Guinness brown bread recipe given at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The things I changed were reducing the volume and size of the recipe for a home cook or baker, and I swapped the heavy Irish steel cut oats for simply rolled oats which I had more success baking with. This recipe has been tested multiple times, so I hope you enjoy the same results we have!
Irish Brown Bread Ingredients
whole wheat flour:This is what gives Irish brown bread its nutty flavor and hearty texture. While you cold substitute with all-purpose white flour, it would not produce the same results as far as flavor and color. Try to find the highest quality whole wheat flour available at your local grocer or health food store. If you can find stone ground, even better! We used King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour when testing this brown bread recipe.
rolled oats: Rolled oats or old fashioned oats are simply oatmeal in the United States, like what you’d find available in brands like Quaker and Bob’s Red Mill. You could also use quick oats as a substitute.
salt: Salt enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients in this brown bread recipe. It also balances out the bitter and sweet. You don’t need much, just a pinch.
baking soda: Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a leavening agent used to help the bread rise and give it a fluffy texture.
dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and color to Irish brown bread. It balances the bitter and nutty flavors of the molasses and Guinness included in the recipe. If you can’t find dark brown sugar, you can also use light brown sugar.
molasses: Molasses, also called treacle, is a thick dark syrup that is a byproduct of refining sugarcane into sugar. It’s the color of strong coffee, and pours thick like honey. Molasses is the main ingredient that adds color to this Irish brown bread recipe, enhancing the color of the wheat flour and Guinness as well. As for flavor, Molasses tastes slightly sweet, malty, and bitter.
Guinness: Guinness adds moisture and a delicious complexity of flavor to this brown bread recipe. There are flavor notes of caramel, coffee, and chocolate with a bitter nutty essence of hops. The carbonation also aids in helping this dense bread rise.
buttermilk: Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after turning cream into butter. It’s fermented, with a tangy flavor similar to cottage cheese. And it gives a nice rise to baked goods.
honey: Honey gives a light touch of sweetness to this brown bread recipe while also enhancing the earthy, nutty flavor of the bread.
melted butter: Melted butter helps soften the bread, crisps up the crust when baking, and tastes more flavorful than using vegetable oil. To melt the butter, add two tablespoons of butter to a small microwave dish and microwave for 10 seconds at a time until the butter is melted.
How To Make Irish Brown Bread
Start by gathering the ingredients listed above. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a bread loaf pan by cutting out a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Then spray the inside of the loaf pan with non-stick spray (I like to use Pam Baking). This recipe will fill a large loaf pan (8 inches x 4 inches) or two mini loaf pans (5 inches x 3 inches).
Add the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, rolled oats, salt, baking soda) to a mixing bowl and blend together with a whisk. Once they look blended, mix in the brown sugar.
Make a sort of hole or well in the dry flour mix to make room for the liquid ingredients. Pour in the molasses, Guinness, buttermilk, honey, and melted butter.
Stir together with a spoon or spatula until all the ingredients are well mixed. It’s best to do this by hand so the ingredients don’t get over mixed.
Spread the dough into the loaf pan with a spatula, making sure to press it into the corners. Draw or cut a line down the middle of the dough with the spatula to give the bread a vent to expand. Garnish the top of the Irish brown bread by sprinkling the top of the dough with rolled oats.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. (If cooking smaller mini loaves, it will only take 45 minutes)
Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool. Slice and serve with Irish butter. Enjoy!
