Irish Brown Bread

Irish brown bread is a beautiful thing. Made with whole wheat flour, buttermilk, molasses, and stout ale, this bread is as hearty, rugged and sweet as the Emerald Isle itself. There is nothing more satisfying than biting into a warm slice slathered with butter and sprinkled with sea salt in the morning. It’s going to be a good day!

This is Eddie, Lisa’s husband, occasional guest blogger, baker of bread, maker of cocktails, back from a week in Ireland with Lisa and two of my brothers and their partners. We hiked over 60 miles along the Dingle Way, a walking tour around one of Ireland’s southwest peninsulas, through stone-wall-enclosed pastures filled with sheep, over mountains, along cliffs and shorelines.

There was rain, intense wind, bright sunshine and fog, often all within a matter of hours. One of the consistent themes for the week was brown bread - once we realized how special it was, we had it every morning and nearly every evening with dinner at over a dozen establishments.

The Best Irish Brown Bread

By far the best Irish brown bread we tasted in our travels was served to us at the Half Door Restaurant in Dingle. I knew as soon as I took my first bite that I had to recreate this masterpiece at home. The server refused, politely, to share the restaurant's recipe, but we were able to tease out of her a number of the key ingredients - stout ale, treacle (molasses), baking soda and buttermilk.

The rest I had to reconstruct through a combination of research and trial and error. I am very pleased with the result and happy to share it with you here!

Origin of Irish brown bread

Irish brown bread embodies a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Ireland's history and agricultural practices. Its origins can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when the relatively lower cost of whole wheat flour became more accessible to the general population.

Traditionally, Irish brown bread recipes include wholemeal flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The addition of stout ale enriches the bread with deep, complex flavors, adding a touch of maltiness and subtle sweetness that complement its hearty texture. It also pays homage to Ireland's longstanding brewing heritage.

Historically, Irish brown bread was baked in rural cottages, often over open hearths or on griddles, reflecting its humble origins and practicality in households where ovens were scarce. This method of baking imparted a distinctive crust and dense interior that characterize the bread.

Brown bread remains a beloved staple of Irish cuisine, often enjoyed alongside hearty stews, soups, or simply with a generous spread of Irish butter—a testament to its enduring appeal and cultural significance.

Why this brown bread stands out above the rest

It was clear through our travels that not all brown breads are created equal. Some are dry and crumbly; others lack sweetness and complexity. The loaf we fell in love with in Dingle set a high standard, and I spent weeks in our test kitchen figuring out how to capture its magic.

Here's what makes this brown bread so special:

• Supremely tender and moist crumb: just the right amount of Irish ale, buttermilk, butter and molasses, to create a melt-in-your-mouth bread that's almost impossible to resist.
• Rich Texture: the secret is in the oats! This recipe uses a combination of rolled oats and steel cut oats, adding heartiness and bursts of chewy, nutty whole-grain goodness.
• Layers of Flavor: This bread has a deliciously complex flavor, balancing sweet and savory with hints of caramel from the molasses and rich roasted malt flavor from the stout.

How to make Irish brown bread

Here’s the good news - nothing could be easier or more foolproof! You mix the dry ingredients together, then mix in the wet ingredients, pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Perfect every time, I promise.

For me, who has baked bread for over 30 years using yeast, multiple rises, stretch-and-fold techniques, bannetons and scoring lames, it almost feels like cheating. Why did no one mention this before?! Here are the steps:

Gather the ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour - be sure it's stone ground
• Rolled and steel cut oats - a combination of these two different types of oats creates a robust texture
• Baking soda - the leavening agent in brown bread
• Salt - Kosher works best
• Stout ale - I prefer one that isn’t Guinness which has for me an overly distinct, iconic flavor (I don't want to feel like I'm eating beer); O'Hara's was my favorite of the ones I tried
• Buttermilk - tangy fermented buttermilk adds delicious depth of flavor and works in tandem with the baking soda to fluff up the bread and help it rise
• Butter - I love using Irish butter here but any unsweetened butter will work well
• Blackstrap Molasses (or black treacle) - adds robust, burnt caramel flavor and natural deep brown color
• Brown sugar and/or honey (I use both) - for additional sweetness

Step-by-step photos: Irish Brown Bread

Here are a few process photos to be sure you have a solid understanding of the instructions in the recipe card below.

Lining the loaf pan with parchment is not required but it does help with getting the bread out of the pan cleanly. Butter the pan first, then add the paper, allowing the edges to come up high enough so you can grab onto them and pull the bread out of the pan.

Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine (whole wheat flour, rolled and steel cut oats, baking soda, salt and brown sugar)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry: stout ale, molasses, buttermilk, melted butter and honey (if using). Stir and fold using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, ensuring all dry ingredients are fully absorbed, but don’t over mix. You want a raggy texture ultimately, not a smooth one.

Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan; level the mixture using a wooden spoon or spatula and sprinkle surface with rolled oats.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; to test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the loaf and it should come out clean. If not, leave to bake until the toothpick test is successful.

Remove loaf from pan; after the pan is removed from the oven, let it sit for a few minutes and then remove from the pan and transfer it to a rack to cool for about 30 minutes. It is now ready for eating!

How to serve Irish brown bread

There are so many ways to enjoy this wonderful bread. Here are a few of my favorites:

• For breakfast and snacks, slathered with room temperature soft butter, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of sea salt, or toasted and topped with butter and strawberry jam.
• As an appetizer, sliced into bite-sized pieces and served with butter, smoked salmon, capers and sea salt.
• For lunch, with sharp cheddar cheese and good strong mustard.

I'd love to hear about your favorite way to enjoy Irish brown bread. And if you try this recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. Lisa and I would love to know what you think!

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