Irish Brown Bread
Irish Brown Bread is so rich, soft, and perfect for dunking into your favorite soup or stew. This whole wheat quick bread is a favorite recipe of mine, especially on St. Patrick’s Day! It’s such a huge hit with friends and family and takes just a few minutes to toss together and another 30 minutes to bake.
Irish Brown Bread
Sorry, soda bread… there’s a new bread that owns my heart! Irish brown bread is a classic for so many reasons. It’s a whole wheat bread that’s wonderfully soft, rises perfectly but still has a density to it that makes it perfect for serving alongside heavier soups and stews. It’s also pretty fabulous all by itself with a little bit of butter!
There’s also just a little bit of molasses in the bread batter that gives it just a touch of sweetness. The way that it brings all of the other ingredients together is so amazing! My real not-so-secret ingredient is the buttermilk. Here’s a little tip – if you ever take a bite of a baked good that seems too good to be true, it was probably made with buttermilk! It just makes everything so much softer and fluffier.
While I’ll certainly be making this bread for St. Patrick’s Day, I also love making it all year round for various meals. In the colder months, it’s so comforting to serve this whole wheat bread alongside some Guinness beef stew! It sticks to your ribs in the very best way. It’s so easy to make – why not bake it whenever the craving hits?
How to Make Irish Brown Bread
Take a quick look at how easy it is to make this Irish brown bread recipe! For full step by step instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat) and transfer it to the center rack of the oven.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the wheat flour, bran, flour, baking soda and salt until well mixed.
- Add remaining ingredients. Work the butter into the flour mixture using your hands or a pastry blender. You should end up with pieces that are smaller than a pea. Then, stir in the buttermilk and molasses until incorporated into the dough.
- Form the loaf. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently to form a smooth ball. Use a knife to cut a slice across the top of the dough. It should be about 1 inch deep. Slice it again to form a cross, then transfer the bread to the hot baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the bread for about 30-35 minutes. You’ll know it’s fully cooked when the loaf is firm on top and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
- Let it cool. Place the baked bread on a wire rack. Let it cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Storing, Reheating and Freezing
- Storing: Store fresh baked Irish brown bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days after baking. Let it fully cool prior to storing – you don’t want condensation to form in the container!
- Freezing: If you don’t plan on eating your bread right away I suggest freezing the loaf. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: When you are ready to reheat the loaf, remove it from the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature. Pop in the oven and bake at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.
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Get the Recipe: Irish Brown Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup wheat bran
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons molasses
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat and transfer to the center rack of your oven.
- Whisk together the wheat flour, bran, flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or clean hands, work them into the flour mixture until pieces smaller than a pea are left.
- Stir in the buttermilk and molasses just until incorporated into the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until it forms a smooth ball.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut a slice across the top of the dough about 1 inch deep. Slice again to form a cross and transfer the bread to the hot baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf is firm on top and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.