Irish Brown Bread
Irish Brown Bread is a quick bread that is soft and slightly sweet. It has texture from the oats, and a warm brown color and flavor from the molasses and whole wheat flour. Easy and delicious!
AN EASY QUICK BREAD RECIPE
Is there anything better than fresh bread that you made from scratch? I love a good quick bread since you don’t need to do much work. Just throw the ingredients together and bake! Add on a big smear of Kerrygold Butter and this bread is to amazingly good! It really takes it over the top. This Irish Brown Bread has got a nice texture because of the oats and wheat germ and is super soft with just a hint of sweetness. Perfect for dipping in stews or just enjoying with a cup of hot coffee!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
They are both quick breads, meaning they don’t rely on yeast to rise. Typically, Irish Soda Bread is made with white all purpose flour while the brown bread uses whole wheat flour. Also, the brown bread adds molasses and honey for added (light) sweetness.
Unfortunately, if you measure your flour incorrectly your quick bread and baked goods can come out dry because you inadvertently added too much flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale to get accurate flour measurements, I would suggest using the scoop and swipe method when measuring flour. Don’t just dip your measuring cup in the flour bag and scoop it out, you can unintentionally overpack your cup and use too much flour. Instead, use a spoon to scoop the flour in the cup and then use the flat end of a butter knife to swipe off any excess flour.
I don’t like suggesting or using ingredients that not everyone has or feels comfortable using. I like using molasses in a variety of recipes, but I know not everyone uses it routinely. In the store, you can typically find molasses in jars in the baking aisle near the corn syrup (see my ingredient image below so you know what to look for). If it’s not something you’re familiar with and worry about never using it again, I suggest you try some of my other recipes that I use it in:
– Baked Beans
– Homemade BBQ Sauce
– Gingerbread Cupcakes
– No Bake Gingerbread Cheesecake
Wheat germ is the nutrient rich part of the wheat kernel. Wheat germ isn’t always a common ingredient, but it can be found easily if you know where to look. I live in a small area and can usually find it at my local Walmart near the oatmeal section of the store. Sometimes stores stock it near the flour, so look there if you can’t find it by the oatmeal. I’ve shared the brand I used in the ingredient photo below so that may help you know what it looks like when searching your store. If you can’t find that brand, I know Bob’s Red Mill also makes it and it comes in a bag. You can make other things with wheat germ like adding it to smoothies, cereal, or use it as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt. I should share that once you open it, make sure to keep it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- whole wheat flour – this uses a combo of whole wheat and white to create the perfect texture and taste. To be honest, I have not made it with all one or all the other so if you decide to do that, you’ll have to experiment with the measurements. I have only made the recipe this way so I cannot suggest substitutions for you.
- all-purpose flour
- wheat germ– tips on where to find this in the store are above in the FAQ section.
- rolled oats – you want the old fashioned oats (the big flat ones) – not the quick cooking.
- baking soda
- salt
- buttermilk– this is another ingredient that really shouldn’t be switched out for other options as it will change the flavor and texture of this loaf. Instead, if you don’t have buttermilk, make some Homemade Buttermilk instead.
- molasses– if you don’t commonly use molasses, I’ve shared a few other ways to use it above in the FAQ (Frequently Asked QuestioN) section and I shared where to find it in the store.
- honey– You can use dark brown sugar in place of the honey if desired. But, I really suggest sticking to the actual ingredients so you can end up with the perfect loaf.
- salted butter – real butter here, not margarine.
HOW TO MAKE IRISH BROWN BREAD
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk, molasses, honey, and melted butter, and stir until there are no dry patches.
Add the dough to the baking dish and smooth out the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then place the bread on a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve while still warm or however you wish.
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Irish Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup wheat germ
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk (I like a full fat buttermilk)
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup wheat germ, 1/4 cup rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
- To the bowl add 2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup molasses, 1/4 cup honey and 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and stir until there are no dry patches.
- Add the dough to the baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then place the bread on a wire rack to cool.
- Slice and serve while still warm or however you wish.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Delicious, easy bread to make. This recipe tastes just like the bread I remember having at many restaurants during my trip through Ireland. One of my friends who made the trip with me agreed that it tasted the same also.
Just made this and it’s awesome. Really good still warm.
I saw this early this morning and even though I had never made Irish Brown bread before I did a mental check and discovered I had all the ingredients, even real buttermilk. I baked them in 3 mini loaf pans (3X5″) for about 26 minutes. They turned out both beautiful and oh so delicious. I made a big pot of 15 bean soup yesterday which will go great with the bread. You know what I am having for dinner tonight. I will try it toasted for breakfast in the morning and next time I make it (and there will be many next times) I may add some chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries sound good also. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.