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    Homepage » Recipes

    Irish Brown Bread: A Traditional Favorite

    Posted: Aug 19, 2013 · Updated: Jan 15, 2021 ·This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

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    Traditional Irish Brown Bread Recipe

    My mother's traditional recipe for Irish brown bread that I grew up eating. This simple soda bread recipe is made with buttermilk for the authentic Irish taste of home.

    Authentic Irish brown bread recipe
    Table of Contents show
    1 Traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread
    2 You'll Also Enjoy These Irish Recipes
    3 Irish Brown Bread Recipe

    Traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread

    I have lived in the United States for over 7 years now - and love almost everything about being here... EXCEPT the bread! I have a wheat intolerance to begin with (no white bread for me!) but the amount of preservatives and sweeteners and other junk that is added to bread over here completely puts my body over the edge.

    A few slices of brown bread resting on a wooden cutting board, next to small bowls of cream and jam

    I am a breadivore (yes, I just coined that term!). I would eat bread for every meal if I could, so cutting it out of my diet was a no-no. Instead, I turned to the recipe for Irish brown soda bread that my mom has baked since I was a little girl.  It's simple, requires few ingredients and you can whip it together in 5 minutes. It's also really healthy! Oh, and because it's yeast free, it tends to be better for keeping my tummy flat too!


    You'll Also Enjoy These Irish Recipes

    • Traditional Irish Soda Bread
    • Traditional Irish Scones
    • Irish Style Vegetable Soup
    • Irish Lamb & Beef Stew

    A slice of brown bread, spread with jam and butter

    Don't Skip This Ingredient When Making Irish Brown Bread...

    For an authentic Irish brown bread, you really shouldn't skip the buttermilk. It adds a certain richness to the flavor, and the texture won't be as good without it. If you're really stuck, you can use plain yogurt or sour cream instead...or even one of these other buttermilk replacements.

    Traditional Irish brown soda bread

    In Ireland, my favorite way to eat this bread is with a warm bowl of homemade vegetable soup. Slathered in butter, then dunked into the soup, the bread absorbs all the flavors. I also enjoy it with butter and jam and I'm not picky about whether it's for breakfast, lunch or a snack! It seems that butter and jam is go-to combo, since I also eat my Irish Scones and Irish Soda Bread that way, too!

    This easy Irish brown bread is made with buttermilk

    This Irish brown bread is delicious served warm so that the butter soaks right in but it's equally good cold. The bread will keep for several days as long as it's stored in an airtight container or covered with foil, but don't refrigerate it as it will dry the bread out.

     

    A wooden cutting board resting on a cloth, holding a loaf of bread, with one slice spread with jam

    Irish Brown Bread Recipe

    Jenna Shaughnessy
    A traditional rustic Irish brown soda bread recipe made with buttermilk. 
    4.34 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course bread
    Cuisine Irish
    Servings 9
    Calories 218 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 cups Stoneground Whole Wheat Flour sifted
    • 1 cup All Purpose Flour sifted
    • 1 ¾ cups Buttermilk
    • 1 large Egg
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Oats optional, to sprinkle on top

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl, whisk the egg and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
    • Make a well in the middle and add the buttermilk and egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly wet dough is formed.
    • Pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin. 
    • Run a knife along the top of the bread in the shape of a cross (lengthwise then widthwise). Sprinkle the top with oats if desired.
    • Bake at 400° F for 35-40 minutes. You'll know it's cooked when you tap the bottom of the bread and it sounds hollow.
    • Store in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. The bread will stay fresh for several days. Do not refrigerate as it will dry it out.  Serve with butter and jam or whatever tickles your fancy!

    Notes

    If you tap the bread underneath and it sounds hollow, you know it’s fully cooked. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 9gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 424mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 89IUCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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    Comments

    1. D’ee

      December 05, 2021 at 12:23 pm

      This looks great and I can’t wait to try it, but can I use regular wheat flour if I can’t find stone ground wheat?

      Reply
      • Jenna Shaughnessy

        December 05, 2021 at 12:34 pm

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    2. Julie connors

      February 01, 2021 at 7:32 am

      Is there 327 cals in the whole bread

      Reply
      • Jenna Shaughnessy

        February 01, 2021 at 1:27 pm

        Hi Julie! It wasn't calculating correctly for some reason. It's updated now and shows calories per serving

        Reply
        • Cheryl

          February 16, 2022 at 5:23 pm

          Hi, thank you for the recipe! Can you please tell me what size loaf pan you used?

          Reply
          • Jenna Shaughnessy

            February 16, 2022 at 6:02 pm

            Hi! Yukon gold is usually what I have on hand.

            Reply
          • Jenna Shaughnessy

            February 16, 2022 at 6:04 pm

            Hi! I think mine is about 4.5inches x 8.5inches.

            Reply
    3. Sara

      January 19, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      I made it the first time with no issue but upon the second two attempts, it is super dry (not a wet, pourable dough). Any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Jenna Shaughnessy

        January 19, 2021 at 4:54 pm

        Hmmm. I make it at least once a month and I’ve never had that issue! Did you use a different flour maybe?

        Reply
    4. Dawn @ Pin-n-Tell

      March 08, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      This sounds so yummy :) I'll have to try it! And, it's perfect for St. Patty's Day! Thanks for sharing... Sending you PIN love from our #PinUP Pin Party :)

      Reply
      • Jenna

        March 09, 2014 at 6:54 pm

        Thanks Dawn! It's my favorite! :-)

        Reply
    5. Julie @ WarriorNurse.com

      August 23, 2013 at 9:20 am

      That bread looks so yummy, especially with the butter and raspberry jam spread on it. Recently, our neighbors had a bit of a party where they had beer bread--it was delicious, but, the way it was made, I'm not sure that it was the most healthy. I'll have to give this recipe a shot and see if my hubby likes it.

      Reply
      • Jenna

        August 23, 2013 at 5:03 pm

        I hope your husband likes it, Julie! Mine is very fussy about bread and devours it every time I bake it!

        Reply

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