I loved the way mine came out, almost exactly like their loaves. Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube LinkedIn. Irish Brown Bread - Dochara I wasted no time in creating my own homemade Irish Brown Bread recipe so my family and I can treat ourselves to slices any morning. Im curious if its similar in texture to the KA Irish wholemeal flour I guess Ill try it in this recipe and see! Perhaps they mill at supersonic speeds in Ireland:). You are the luckiest guy in the world to have exposure to all the fine food that you taste and bake! I havent tried it yet, it seems lovely but what measurement do you mean please by a 'cup'. Thanks for posting this recipe!! I don't understand why it won't bake through. I am not exaggerating when I say that the bread basket was "attacked" as soon as it hit the table. If you're planning a trip to Ireland, I'm certain that, like us, you'll be able to enjoy Irish Brown Bread everywhere you go. I am going to try her method next time I bake it. One of the best things about sharing my Brown Bread is all the folks Ive heard from here whove shared their own brown bread stories and favorite recipes. I do not recommend a food processor, but a stand mixer. The Soda Bread I Learned From My Irish Mom's Home Ec Textbook - Food & Wine Re coarse ground wholemeal, one solution is to buy a very reasonably priced and indestructible grain grinder from the German firm Jupiter Getreidemuehle with a choice of a stone or steel mechanism. I hope you will both be able to return to Ireland again soon, it's such a relief that we seem to be inching our way back to normal. You're very welcome, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. If you want to make a delicious soup for your family then you have to try Irish potato leek soup. Pour 150ml of water into a small bowl and stir in the molasses, then crumble in the fresh yeast, stirring a couple of times. and of course in U.S. measurements 16 oz. I had no idea that making bread could be so easy. That's a great idea too. It is amazingly informative and inspiring, as are all his talks, and I think youd love it! Plan to eat this bread within 3-4 days of baking for the best flavor and texture. I hope this helps. x, Hi Jill! :( The pictures look so good why is this happening!!!? P.S. The recipes I am using and I am baking bread for years now are using not more than 2-3 g of yeast. Happy baking to you. King Arthur Baking Company, Inc. All rights reserved. There is an Odlums whole meal coarse flour and a whole meal extra course. It was a tasty complement to my Crock Pot corned beef and veg and Jimmies and ginger (Jameson reserve, ginger ale, and a lime twist) drink in honor of St. Patricks Day. Hi! I was unable to find coarsely ground wheat flour in my area on short notice, so until I can get some online, I went out on a limb: cornmeal. I suspect that the bread would be more dense and heavy made this way, but since I haven't tried it with this recipe I can't say for sure. Lovely recipe. One of the high points of going to Ireland is the Irish breakfast. Wait 5 minutes for liquid to be absorbed by the flour before baking. Thank you so much for this post I grew up eating at an irish inspired restaurant in Vermont (Simon Pearce, if anyone else is familiar? King Charles will offer . How would this work with whole spelt flour? Well-received so far! I am not a huge cook but Irish dinner on St Paddys day is an annual mini celebration of ours (like many Americans). Top 46 Easy Bread Recipe King Arthur Recipes Cant seen to find fresh yeast anywhere here. Hi Bernadette, how interesting! Another traditional ingredient is buttermilk, which gives the bread great flavor and also works with baking soda and baking powder to make the bread rise. On the other hand, my son said: Mum, no matter what you say about the different qualities of the French bread (baguettes), they are still so much better than anything they sell here under that name. Sifting flour into a bowl for Irish brown bread Make the Yeast Free Dough Add the whole wheat flour to a large mixing bowl. Stir together until blended some lumps will remain. So give this simple bread a try. of water is a little less than 10 oz., a cup and a half, 12 oz. Thank you! A pound = 450g (~3 cups). Great recipe and detail! Remove the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it. I also put a bit more baking powder and soda. You'll be rewarded with a nuttier, chewier loaf. On the superstitious side, the cross is to let the devil out! We got our deft, compact & utterly delicious loaves from the Totnes market where a group of a TRIBE living in the Taunton area sold their products. Form the dough into a large ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Making it, I didnt want to disappoint so I read your entire article, followed to a T except, I altered one ingredient. Stir whole-wheat flour and quick-cooking oatmeal into the butter mixture. Hi Carla! If you try it, I'd love to hear how the bread turns out. Your email address will not be published. When I was there for the Literary Festival, Tim Allen, the son of Myrtle Allen, who started growing vegetables at Ballymaloe in 1947, and decided to open a restaurant, hotel, and eventually acooking school adjacent to the gardens, kindly offered to take me in their cooking school kitchen to show me how its made. Thanks for sharing this traditional Irish recipe! (You don't want to over-knead this bread as it will make it tough once baked. I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Made for an even crust. Thanks for commenting! I love learning from Tim. Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack. In France, breakfast is usually some toast and coffee, and Im fine with that although a few hours later, I usually have a plain yogurt with some dark honey or a bowl of fresh fruit, to tide me over until lunch. Lol. Step 2: Mix the Guinness Soda Bread Batter This recipe uses stone-ground wheat flour, which is easier to find in the U.S. from producers like Bobs Red Mill. Hi Hanna, Wow - when someone from Ireland says my brown bread is excellent, I consider that truly high praise! Thanks again - Ill let you know how it turns out! I could never make her bread but now you shared the recipe I can. Regarding the yeast to use, we had a chat about the differences between fresh yeast and active dry yeast, and they prefer to use fresh yeast. Always interesting to see how much of a dish is down to technique and how much is down to specific local ingredients. I would buy a ticket back just to go have the brown bread. I love bread and this looks so good! I was hoping I was not borrowing trouble with the end result. David, thank you for including the closest French ingredients, especially the type of flour. And I cant stop baking it delicious. I came across this recipe while searching for Irish brown bread. Recipe Instructions To mix the dough: Mix all of the ingredients together, using the smaller amount of flour. Use a sharp knife to slash a cross in the top of the dough, and poke a hole in each corner of the dough (to let the fairies out!). . Required fields are marked *. Love making simple breads and when I noticed I had all the ingredients, I had to make it right away. March 9, 2018. I'm looking forward to baking Aunt Lizzie's soda bread next. Hi Analida, found this recipe and it looks good. Its an excellent bread Ive been making since 1973 when I found Myrtle Allens recipe in Beard On Bread. It is a close cousin, or stepbrother to the Irish soda bread made with white flour. And your thought to refrigerate the dough is a great one. I seemed to have a lot of flour left that wasnt incorporated after adding all of the buttermilk. Hi Sabine, The white flour is 1 3/4 cups. It will form a round loaf about 8 inches in diameter. Joseph: Thanks. With the eggs and the wet texture it sounds similar to a banana bread batter. Eventually I would convert it to a scone recipe, adding caraway seeds, orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon.) I hope you will make it again since you have all that Odlums on hand! Form a ball on a floured surface. I don't normally add sugar or baking powder when I make soda bread but I must hand it to you, it makes a huge difference. I rushed back here to save the recipe. Thank you. I hope you have the best day ever. This is another post I had to postpone or I wd have needed another breakfast. Cut a deep cross in the top. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. I was wondering if I could also make a lighter version by using honey instead of molasses for a change every once in a whileanyone have any thoughts on that? Coat your hands with flour and gently knead to form a soft dough. This recipe saved my life. Thanks, Nancy, I. I grew up in Ireland and the bread is definitely not this sweet. Irish Brown Bread is baked with a cross sliced on the top of the loaf. King's Restaurant in Clifden, and with our breakfast at the Rossmore Manor B&B in Donegal. It's so much fun. I grew up eating brown bread in Ireland and it's lovely to find recipes that don't depend on an expensive baking mix for success. Hi Bill, I agree, the coarse wholemeal flour makes all the difference. I will say that this bread doesn't have the sweet taste that you think of with sweet breads like brioche, Portuguese sweet bread, or even Hawaiian sweet rolls. Pour the yeast mixture and the remaining 275ml water into the flour and stir until a batter is formed, which will have the consistency of oatmeal. Italian-Style Flour $10.95. I'm Nancy Mock and I live in beautiful northern Vermont with my family. I was wanting a ' sweet ' version of the bread and this worked for my needs. Yes, sometimes I take that shortcut too, and use regular milk with a little lemon juice if there's no buttermilk on hand. I have it in the old mini-paperback version! Kitchen Scales Pans. Hi Marita, That's a great tip about the flour. Can you let me know what that is? I dont use the food processor and I import the stone ground flower, since its the only way to get the gritty texture that is so authentic. Delicious! Hi Aiden, Thanks for this feedback, I'm glad you were happy with the loaf in the end. I was thrilled to read this post and learn how to make a true Irish bread. Like you, I find the sweetness in this bread to be mild, just enough to work with the hearty and nutty flavor of the whole wheat. I wanted to ask a question please : Is it necessary to add so much sugar? The simplest of soda breads contained only flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and buttermilk. Bake a loaf of Irish Brown Bread to enjoy with afternoon tea, with hot soup, or buttered for breakfast. Oh well next time! Looks divine! 1 large egg 1 cups buttermilk, plus more as needed Directions Preheat oven to 400F. I'll try it sometime with a bit of Lyle's syrup blended in. Press down on the ball until it is about 2 inches thick. Thank you for making my recipe, and for this comment which really made my day. Thank you so much for trying my recipe!! Hi Meghan! The baker in your pics looks so much like our choir conductor we had in Devon that its each time I come back like an unreal (and pleasant) shock. I have never tried this bread! I was transported back to Ireland (if only with my eyes closed). Sunday was white toast a real treat we thought then. Thanks. Fresh yeast is available in most supermarkets in the United States, in the refrigerated section. On our trip to Ireland, my family and I discovered traditional Irish Brown Bread. Can we make this bread in a loaf tin? Thank you so much, it's wonderful to hear from you! Cut a deep cross over the top of the dough. That was a good call to add a bit more buttermilk to help pull your dough together. While soda bread often has raisins or caraway seeds, brown bread is more often made without mix-ins. Looking forward to trying this recipe! Elizabeth David says a scant teaspoon of dry yeast per pound of flour; 3 teaspoons for 4 pounds. Thank you for this great recipe. Thank you again, -N. With regard to the crust being crunchier than expected, I learned a tip from my granny in Ireland. Bake the bread until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. So far I used regular wholemeal flour and the bread came out very good. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Irish Brown Bread - Baking Sense And here are more recipes inspired by travels to Ireland: How do you like this brown bread? ), but stoneground wholemeal flour, which is what you want, is widely available here in England. Scoop the dough into the prepared pan, mounding it in the center. I double this recipe, and half the Suger, and add 2 tbsp of Golden Syrup, and bake twice a week, so wholesome and full of fiber. It sounds like you were as smitten with the Brown Bread as we were! Thanks!! Hi-ya! I love a hearty bread like this! This bread is a staple in Ireland and one you should try. The recipe for my Irish Brown Bread with buttermilk is below! If you look at my recipe card, there is a tab for "Metric" - click on this and all of the measurements will be converted to grams and milliliters. All it needs is some good quality butter! Place the pot or baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. It's perfect with breakfast, as a mid-afternoon snack or to whet the appetite for dinner. I think it's fine if you'd like to cut the sugar amount down. Irish Brown Bread is delicious by itself, but even more so slathered with delicious Irish butter, and your favorite jam. I am so glad you enjoyed the bread and I hope get the Ireland soon! Ill definitely be trying this version next week to change it up. Irish Brown Bread is great for dipping into a nice big bowl of Guinness Stew or Dublin Coddle. We didn't get to see Kerry Way or Killarney, but maybe on our next trip. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Bloggers Brags! Devine. Contact Nancy Mock through the About Me page for permissions. All that said, the spirit of this loaf is that its something that anyone can make at home, so dont fret. I just returned from a wonderful vacation to Ireland, and I loved the brown soda bread everywhere. Then I tried it with some Irish butter and it was just like being back there! You may add a little sugar but it shouldn't overpower the taste. Stir together until blended some lumps will remain. I added a bit more and was able to get it into a good loaf but there was still flour left over. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: both flours, oats, salt and baking soda. Wouldn't it be amazing to be at an Irish Soda Bread event in person to sample all that delicious bread? And I agree - dont forget that butter! There are a few different wholemeal flowers we use, there is wheaten which is more finely milled and then the rougher wholemeals. And you too can have fresh bread on the table whenever you want, no matter where you are. Unlike other whole wheat breads that tend to have soft, unimpressive crusts, this one gets an extra-crisp exteriorfrom a special technique he showed me when the loaf was nearly finished baking. I hope this helps. When I was growing up people would talk about how crisp a crust they could get on their brown soda or scones. Maybe I should have been a bakerbut would probably be very chubby. Thank you again for a wonderful recipe. 2 cups well-shaken buttermilk Step 1 Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400F. Hello! While the sugar included here only makes the bead very mildly sweet, the answer is yes: you can absolutely reduce or skip the sugar altogether if you prefer. If you have time, I'd love to hear where you traveled in Ireland! Super good, especially given how little work it is. 'Brown bread' is the Cockney slang word for 'dead'. Thank you for posting this and the links. Lauren, I lived in Switzerland for 25 years (now in Ireland) and was able to have flour ground to order (min 10kg bags) in the local farmers mill, I was on the French side but imagine you could do the same in your area. Once we were back home, we really missed those rustic slices. I used Hodgson Mills organic stone-ground whole-wheat flour, available in bulk at Whole Foods, and 10 grams of SAF Red instant yeast (a smidge over 21/4 teaspoonsthe King Arthur Flour website says to use 33% of the weight of fresh yeast when converting to instant), which I mixed in with the flours and salt in step one. It was a hilarious surprise and the next best thing to being at home. Ill try my hand at this. 1 large round loaf, 10" to 12" in diameter, 2 to 3 tablespoons (25g to 35g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Blend together the stone-ground wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whether at a pub or restaurant, Irish brown bread was always present. Bake 15 minutes at 450F, reduce to 400F and bake another 20-25 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave a comment below. That sounds wonderful! Ive just arrived in New Zealand where the standard is not quite the same. I have just made this receipe to the exact measurements and wonder if the 4.5 tablespoons of sugar was a typo. You call for 1 3/4 White flour. On my recent family trip to Ireland I was very happy that Irish Brown Bread was served at every meal. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment. Your first comment under Notes re-preparing ahead of time were a little confusing (prob my fault!). Thanks again for always providing new recipes to try; I really enjoy it. Using a fork or spatula, stir gradually until combined. I love this tradition that you and your wife have - where in Ireland is home for you? Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl. When I tested the recipe with the French whole-wheat flour versus the Irish coarsely ground flour, there was no comparison: The Irish flour took the bread to a whole other level and thecrumb wasjust like the loaves at Ballymaloe. We call it a brown soda made like this treacle bread and a friends mother always made in in a casserole dish in the oven with a lid on which is actually the way it was originally made in a metal oven like a covered dish in the ashes of an open fire with coals on top of the lid. Hi Gerardine, were you able to make my brown bread recipe and sample it? Happy St Patricks day! We are hoping to travel to Ireland again next year, and Galway is one place I would love to spend time exploring. While many Americans know about Irish soda bread, made with all-purpose flour, raisins and/or caraway seeds, Irish brown bread (also called brown soda bread) is a true Irish staple thats on menus and tables in Ireland every day. I could include it in the post. Added a bit more oats, molasses, a touch of honey, and cooked it a bit longer the second time - with more or less the same result. Hi Carol, That's wonderful that you were able to swap in molasses for the sugar, I would imagine it would take on a flavor of traditional Boston or New England Brown Bread. Have you tried it that way and how does it affect the bread? Hi Patricia, Odlums Coarse is the flour I use. 4 tbls is an awful lot and I hate sweet bread. Line the pot or the baking sheet with parchment paper. It's still a bit sweet so I'll try one more time with 1 T. sugar. I followed the recipe, used one packet of dry yeast and it came out great. Combine the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. It should not be sweet. Spread the wheat germ on a baking tray and place in the hot oven for 3-5 minutes until it is lightly toasted. I made this recipe today and it turned out great! It was such a smashing success I think I baked it three times in one week. 10 ounces whole wheat flour, 5 ounces all purpose . If the mixture still seems very dry, stir in the rest of the buttermilk. I hope you get to bake a loaf soon, and let me know how it goes! Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Sometimes I will read the title of your recipe and find it hmm ok its just bread but by the time I am done reading the post I have two bags of Irish wheat flour and molasses in my Amazon cart and the recipe is pinned + boomarked. Powdery flour is estimated at 6 oz/cup. Your recipe said to flatten the ball to 1/2 . I always sprinkle the top with toasted ground sesame seeds. I lived in Ireland when I was younger and this is the closest tasting recipe I've found. My family loves this recipe too and we try to have this with Guinness beef stew as it is a great bread to dunk. I always enjoy reading about your travels and am almost always introduced to something new with each post. Can you leave out the AP flour altogether? Preheat the oven to 400F. I probably should have kneaded it a bit more as I saw some points of of un-mixed flour, but not really critical. I made this bread last week and it was so delicious. Coat your hands with flour and gently knead to form a soft dough. Today I tried your recipe for brown soda bread and my family and I have not stopped eating it since it came out of the oven. I just made irish brown bread using 2 1/2 c King Arthur's Irish style flour. I happen to have some in my pantry and was thinking the same thing.. How creative to get a cake that looks like chowder and bread! Thanks for the suggestion. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 450F. Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox! Definitely going to now. As another comment noted, I thought soda bread means chemical leavener, not yeast. Hi Denise, I hope you liked my posts about our visits to Donegal, Inishmore, Clifden, Dublin, and Castlemaine. This recipe is the best! Best of all, it tastes great. Add to Cart The item has been added. Search | King Arthur Baking On a few occasions Ive lowered the sugar to 2 tbl and add 1 tbl of Lyles Golden Syrup (purchased at Cost Plus World Market) and its the right amount of sweetness for me, and I dont have a sweet tooth at all. Ill be trying out this recipe soon! Buy 5 or More Select Mixes & Save! I see in another comment you say 2. I sometimes use honey instead of molasses if thats what I have on hand. Bastible Bread, its called, and made in a cast iron skillet. Thank you for writing this up. Everytime my American wife and I go home to Ireland, the first thing we do, once we get to my home town is head straight for my local, the bridge bar for seafood chowder, brown bread and a pint of Guinness. -N. I also have traditional recipes for brown scones if youre interested! I used 1/4 of a cup. The deep color and nutty flavor come from wholemeal flour: a coarse-textured wheat flour with visible specks of bran. It never stick either. Yes, you can definitely bake this in a loaf pan. In the restaurant kitchen at Ballymaloe House, the chef arrives at6am to get the bread started, and pulls the loaves out by the time the first guests arrive in the dining room for breakfast around 8am. Thank you for sharing! Coarse and less refined wheat flours were the most affordable and were used to make brown soda breads like this recipe. Especially spread with a bit of French cultured butter and some flaky salt. The cornmeal sounds great, as does the wheat germ. Thank you so much! In my Delectable Destinations posts about our trip to Ireland, I share that we enjoyed Irish Brown Bread everywhere: in cafs, restaurants, and with breakfasts at our B&Bs. I am trying this on my next bake! Yes, I'd love to hear back when you try it with just molasses. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As you said you have to experiment with the recipe and your own oven. Both of these will warm you up on a cold night! It is coarser than flour and finer than semoule that would be used for couscous : Ive wandered to others for a comparison and keep coming back to yours. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you mix the dough, then drain well. It was simple, actually fun to make, and resulted in a pleasant discussion of Ireland by way of a delicious wedge of wholesome Irish bread--slathered, of course. Grinding the hard wheat grain is a very clever workaround to get the texture of wholemeal. I dont know which pictures you saw but when I bake it it looks like the ones youve posted. i will make sure I stop by. It's so creamy, yummm! Let stand until it starts to foam on top, about 10 minutes. Was very hopeful about this recipe as I adore Irish brown bread, but have made it twice and am disappointed. The other one I add to bread (a little) is malted grain which is what is in Hovis. Irish wholemeal flour for Irish Brown Bread: coarse or extra - Food52 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, steel cut oats, baking soda, and salt. Add to Cart The item has been added. You can easily use it in any non-yeast bread recipe calling for wholemeal flour, but it's ideal for Irish brown breads. Even though I had the same ingredients, my loaves came out different because of various other factors my oven, loaf pan material, etc. Mom has passed on and so happy I can make for my family thanks so much. Odlums is another good wholemeal flour to use when King Arthur Flour is out of their Irish flour. This was the only one I had seen that used course whole wheat. In Denver we are at 5280 ft and I am wondering if you have any suggestions about changes to the recipe at this altitude. Thank you! I found this chart from King Arthur Flour that I hope will help: it shows how to adjust the liquid, leaveners, and bake time for your altitude, and notes at the bottom that the conversions should work well for quick breads like this Brown Bread. Thank you! Blackberry and Apple Crumble & Dingle, Ireland, Traditional Irish Potato Soup, and Dublin, Ireland, Parsnip Soup with Apple and Curry, and Bunratty, Ireland, Ham and Cheese Toasties, and Limerick, Ireland, Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce, Nancy Mock Food Writing, including Marry Me Chicken. The bread was also on the breakfast table at Murphy's Farmhouse B&B in Castlemaine. I would like to know whether I should use the "coarse" or the "extra-coarse". Honestly, bread and butter, what could be better? This recipe was adapted from: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook. Your feedback made my day. I sifted out the coarse bits of some medium-grind cornmeal and swapped the coarse cornmeal for some flour in the hopes of getting more of the crunchy texture you describe. Great question about omitting the sugar: I made a test loaf this morning, everything the same except without sugar. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan. I cant figure out how to add a picture, or I would. Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Beard seems to have had a taste for salt many of his bread recipes have way too much salt I use 1 tsp not the tablespoon he calls for. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you mix the dough, then drain well.