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Irish Brown Bread is a delicious twist on classic soda bread, offering a slightly sweet, rich, and hearty flavor. It comes together quickly, with no kneading or rising! Makes a great breakfast, snack, or side with dinner. It’s so yummy with honey, butter, or jam!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hearty & Wholesome! Made with simple, nourishing ingredients, this Irish brown bread is deliciously satisfying.
- Perfectly Sweet! Unlike traditional soda bread, this version has a touch of sweetness that makes it extra delicious. Plus, the texture is soft on the inside with a slightly crisp crust, making every bite irresistible.
- Pairs Well with Any Meal! Enjoy it for breakfast with honey butter, as a snack with jam, or alongside soups and stews.
Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day
I can pretty much guarantee that every home cook will have the ingredients needed to make this loaf! It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! You could even bake a few loaves and share them with your neighbors! If you love making bread from scratch but want a simple and quick fix, this is the bread for you. Plus, it’s packed with whole wheat and oats, a nice break from store-bought white bread. No crazy equipment is needed to execute this recipe, just a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spatula, a bread pan, and an oven.
Ingredients Needed for Irish Brown Bread
How to Make Irish Brown Bread
Making this Irish brown bread recipe is so simple. You only need 20 minutes of prep time! With pantry staple ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a hearty, slightly sweet loaf ready to enjoy. No yeast or kneading is required! Just mix, pour, and bake. Let’s walk through the easy steps:
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then spray a 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the wheat flour, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, salt, and baking soda.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, molasses, and melted unsalted butter.
- Combine: Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix until the dough just comes together.
- Bake: Place the dough into the loaf pan and even out the top, sprinkle with some oats, and bake for 50-55 minutes or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, or temp out to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Better Bread: Pro Tips & Tasty Twists
There are a few ways to customize this Irish brown bread loaf to suit your taste! I’m also sharing my top tips that will help you perfect your bread.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough! Just like with classic soda bread, you don’t want to over-mix the dough. It should just come together with no dry patches of unmixed flour. This will result in fluffier bread. The more you mix it, the denser it will be.
- Guinness Irish Brown Bread Variation: If you want to add a deeper, maltier flavor, add Guinness beer. Replace 1 cup of the buttermilk with 1 cup of beer and bake following the same instructions.
- Best Way to Enjoy! This loaf is best enjoyed warm with butter and jam, as the creamy texture brings out its rich flavor. Or, if you want something a little sweeter, try my cinnamon honey butter for a delicious twist.
How to Store Leftover Irish Brown Bread
Let the loaf cool completely before storing it in a container, or the loaf will sweat and become soggy.
- Room Temperature: Wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel, which keeps the texture crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Store it in an airtight container or bread box for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: You can keep your bread in the fridge, but I don’t recommend it as it can dry out the bread faster.
- Freezer: To keep it longer, wrap the loaf (or slices) tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag. It stays fresh for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To refresh frozen bread, thaw it at room temperature, then warm it in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes for a just-baked taste.
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Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup rolled oats, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons baking soda.
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In a separate bowl, mix the 2 cups room temperature buttermilk, ¼ cup molasses, and 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix until the dough just comes together.
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Place the dough into the loaf pan and even out the top, sprinkle with some oats, and bake for 50-55 minutes, a toothpick inserted should come out clean, or temp out to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 778mgPotassium: 380mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 233IUCalcium: 107mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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