Want to recreate Ireland's favorite bread at home? This Irish brown bread is simple to make, and tastes amazing on its own or spread with butter and other toppings! All you need is six simple ingredients to make this brown bread.
If you're looking for more delicious Irish recipes, you'll want to make our Dublin coddle or dingle pie for St. Patrick's Day!
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Why This Recipe Works
- It's made with two types of flour. You can use 100% whole wheat flour, but you'll have a very dense, heavy bread. Using a 50-50 blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour makes the texture lighter.
- It's scored properly. Cutting a shallow X on the top of the bread isn't enough to allow the heat to penetrate the center of this dense bread. You'll need to cut almost all the way through the dough, which will allow the bread to expand as it bakes and help it bake evenly.
- It's baked on a preheated baking stone. Baking the bread at a high temperature (450°F) on a preheated baking stone ensures a crisp, browned base on the loaf.
- It's baked and cooled properly to avoid a doughy center. Baking the loaf to an internal temperature of 200°F ensures that it's thoroughly cooked, while letting it cool completely before slicing allows the steam to finish setting the bread in the middle. This prevents the bread from being underbaked or doughy.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make this Irish brown bread? Fortunately, nothing fancy! This bread has been made for generations in Ireland with simple ingredients that you probably already have.
- Flour: This brown bread was traditionally made with coarse whole wheat flour, as it was cheaper. However, now that white flour is more affordable, we used a 50-50 blend of whole wheat flour and white all-purpose flour for a lighter texture.
- Baking Soda: Not to be confused with baking powder, this rising agent (also called bicarb) reacts with the buttermilk to make the loaf rise. Make sure your baking soda isn't more than 3 months old, or its rising power will be reduced.
- Buttermilk: This thick, tangy liquid reacts with the baking soda to make the loaf rise in the oven. Use the best buttermilk you can for extra flavor.
- Salt: Be sure to use regular table salt, not kosher salt. Fine salt incorporates better and mixes in evenly.
Variations
- Don't have buttermilk? Make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk.
- Dairy Free/Vegan: Use your favorite plant-based milk and add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice to it to make dairy-free buttermilk.
- Guinness Version: For a non-traditional but delightful bread, swap the buttermilk for Guinness.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the Irish brown bread.
- Whisk the whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking soda, and brown sugar until combined.
- Add enough buttermilk to form a slightly sticky dough.
3. Spread flour on a work surface and gently knead the dough a couple of times, then shape into a ball.
4. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the bread, cutting almost all the way through.
5. Bake on a preheated baking stone at 450°F for 15 minutes, then bake at 400°F for another 15 minutes. Cover with foil halfway through to prevent overbrowning.
6. Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour to allow it time to cook in the center. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Irish brown bread is made from a mixture of whole wheat and white flour, salt, baking soda, a touch of sugar, and buttermilk. It only takes a few simple ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store!
Your bread may be dense for a variety of reasons. Overkneading the dough or using baking soda that's more than 3 months old may be the cause. Also, make sure the bread is baked to an internal temperature of 200°F and cools for at least 1 hour before slicing, or it will be doughy inside.
The unique texture of Irish soda bread (and this brown bread) happens because of the chemical reaction between the baking soda (bicarb) and the acid in the buttermilk. This gives the bread a firm, yet open texture with a hard crust and crumbly interior.
This Irish brown bread is the most popular type of bread in Ireland. It dates back many years to when white flour was expensive, so people made bread with the cheaper whole wheat (or brown) flour. It's made without yeast, so it has a different texture and flavor, but it's absolutely delicious!
Serve
This Irish brown bread tastes great in a lot of ways! Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Serve with butter and any toppings you like, such as jam, chutney, cheese, or sliced meat.
- Enjoy along with a bowl of hearty stew, like Dublin coddle or Mulligan stew.
- Eat with a slice of savory pie, like Dingle pie or Irish ham and cabbage pie.
- Toast the bread and enjoy with a full Irish breakfast.
- Eat a slice of brown bread with a cup of Irish tea, such as Barry or Lyons.
Store
- Make Ahead: Unfortunately, you can't make the dough ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge or on the counter, because the reaction between the baking soda and buttermilk starts taking place as soon as you mix them together.
- Leftovers: Seal them tightly in a zip-top plastic bag and store at room temperature. For best freshness, freeze the bread as soon as possible.
- Freezing: Seal the bread in a zip-top plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost on the counter or in the toaster.
Expert Tips
- Handle the dough gently. There's no need for vigorous kneading in this recipe!
- Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross into the loaf before baking, cutting nearly all the way through the dough. This ensures that the bread cooks in the center.
- Cover the bread with foil halfway through the baking time if it's getting too dark.
- Make sure the bread cools on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing, or it will be gummy in the middle.
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Recipe
Irish Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and place a large baking stone on the center rack to preheat.
- Pour the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Gradually add the buttermilk, mixing it in with your hand as you go, until a slightly sticky dough forms. You may not need all the buttermilk, or you may need a little extra depending upon the brands of flours and humidity.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently a couple of times. Shape into a ball and use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross into the loaf, cutting almost all the way through.
- Use a cake lifter or pizza peel to pick up the loaf from the work surface and to slide it onto the preheated baking stone. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then bake at 400°F for another 15 minutes, or until the loaf has an internal temperature of 200°F in the middle. Cover it with foil halfway through if it's getting too dark.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving, about 1 hour. Serve with butter and jam or with an Irish soup like Dublin coddle.
Notes
- Handle the dough gently. There's no need for vigorous kneading in this recipe!
- Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross into the loaf before baking, cutting nearly all the way through the dough. This ensures that the bread cooks in the center.
- Cover the bread with foil halfway through the baking time if it's getting too dark.
- Make sure the bread cools on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing, or it will de gummy in the middle.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
This is a classic Irish bread that's good with soups. It's just as good eaten as soda bread and very nice toasted.
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Beth!
Alex
The bread is husky and coarse, and the crust is chewy. The bread has a nice light texture.
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Alex!