Irish Brown Bread Recipe
There’s nothing better on cold autumn or winter days than fresh brown bread, whether enjoyed with homemade soup or smothered with good butter. This simple, delicious recipe is shared with us by Homestead Cottage, a beloved local restaurant in Doolin, and is also served here at the breakfast table at Doolin Inn as part of our Big Burren Breakfast tiered offering.
🧈 Ingredients
160 g plain flour (about 1¼ cups)
140 g bran flour (about 1 cup)
10 g bread soda (about 2 tsp baking soda)
20 g baking powder (about 1½ tbsp)
100 g oats (about 1 cup)
80 g treacle (about ¼ cup molasses)
½ tsp salt
500 ml buttermilk (about 2 cups)
100 g mixed seeds (about ¾ cup – pumpkin, chia, sunflower)
🥣 How to Make Traditional Irish Brown Bread
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F).
Grease or line one large or two smaller loaf tins. - Combine the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, bran flour, bread soda, baking powder, salt, oats, and seeds. - Add the wet ingredients
Pour in the treacle first, followed by the buttermilk. Mix thoroughly using an electric mixer or by hand.
Note: this is a moist brown bread, so the batter will be more like cake batter than traditional dough. - Fill the tins
Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf tin(s). Sprinkle a few extra oats on top for a rustic finish. - Bake
Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Check if it’s done by inserting a skewer or small knife. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. If not, bake for another 10 minutes. - Cool
Remove the loaf from the tin and place on a wire rack. Leave to cool fully before slicing.
Serving Suggestion
Serve warm with butter, or alongside soup. The bread keeps well for a few days and can also be frozen. This recipe is by Homestead Cottage Doolin.