Irish Brown Bread

If you’re looking for a new bread baking project to get you through winter this year, may we suggest a hearty loaf of Irish brown bread? It’s technically a quick bread (meaning no yeast or rise) and has a dense yet tender interior that’s as good for eating with butter and jam as it is for dipping into a creamy winter soup. It’s also the perfect pairing for many of our other St. Patrick’s day inspired foods, like our Irish beef stew or our corned beef and cabbage (a corned beef sandwich on this bread would be incredible). Here's everything you need to know to ace it: 

What is the difference between Irish brown bread and Irish soda bread?
Though there are several similarities between the two, they vary greatly in flavor. Irish soda bread is generally a little sweeter, like a scone, and made with white flour. Brown bread, on the other hand, is more savory with a nuttier flavor. It’s usually made with wholemeal flour, but we used whole wheat in this recipe. What both Irish breads have in common is that they're leavened with baking soda (hence the name soda breads). The leavener works with the acidic buttermilk to help the bread rise.

Whole wheat flour vs. all-purpose flour:
Whole wheat flour is what gives Irish brown bread its nutty flavor and hearty texture. While you could substitute with using entirely all-purpose flour here, it wouldn’t produce the same results as far as flavor and color. Try to find the highest-quality whole wheat flour available at your local grocer or health food store. We used King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour when testing for this recipe. If you can find stone-ground, even better! The real key is blending both whole wheat and all-purpose, which creates a loaf that’s soft with great texture and a good rise.

Variations:
You’ll sometimes see raisins, currants, and chocolate chips in Irish soda bread, but brown bread tends to lean more savory. We’ve never found raisins in Irish brown bread, but we have discovered that many home cooks have their own favorite add-ins, like oats, wheat germ, seeds, and nuts. Here we kept it pretty straightforward, but feel free to play around with the recipe.

Storage: 
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for around 2 months. 

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.