Authentic No Yeast Irish Brown Bread Recipe (2024)

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Easy to make, an authentic Irish Brown Bread Recipe!

Irish Brown Bread is a classic recipe straight from Ireland, making it a great treat to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day. The hearty recipe combines healthy whole wheat with toasted wheat germ to give this delicious bread a wonderful texture.

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Finding a recipe that resembles the traditional Irish staple is easier said than done. If you’ve tried and failed to capture the taste of Ireland in other brown bread recipes, you’re going to love this guide to making delicious bread every time.

While most American soda breads feature a sweet flavor that often resembles more of a dessert than a bread, this Irish version is a savory treat.

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It tastes just like the bread served in the pubs and restaurants in Ireland, making it a perfect accompaniment to your St. Patrick’s Day meal. It’s wonderful when paired with a hearty Irish stew or even a full breakfast.

On top of being packed with flavor, this no yeast brown bread recipe is also super easy to make! You won’t find many wheat bread recipes that are ready in under an hour, which means you’re going to love the simplicity of this easy whole wheat bread.

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What Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Whole wheat flour
  • Toasted wheat germ
  • Salt
  • Baking soda
  • Molasses
  • Buttermilk

How to Make Irish Brown Bread:

Step One:

  • Preheat the oven. Grease and lightly flour a two-pound loaf pan, if you plan to bake your bread in a loaf. For a more rustic look, skip the loaf pan and shape your bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Step Two:

  • Mix together the dry ingredients, including the flour, wheat germ, salt, and baking soda. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Add in the molasses and buttermilk, and continue to mix until the ingredients are well combined. A soft dough will begin to form as you mix.
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Step Three:

  • Dust a clean work surface with whole wheat flour and roll the dough out onto the floured surface. Use your hands to knead the dough lightly for one minute. Avoid over-kneading the dough or it will become dry and stiff, resulting in dry bread.
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Step Four:

  • If you will be cooking the bread in a traditional loaf pan, shape the dough into a log the same length as the pan. Place the dough in the pan, then use the handle of a wooden spoon or your palm to create a slight impression on the top of the dough.
  • You can also create a more rustic loaf by simply shaping the dough into a loaf by hand and baking it on a baking sheet. After shaping the dough, place the loaf on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and score a crisscross impression on the top of the loaf.
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Step Five:

  • Bake the Irish Brown bread in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know your bread is done baking when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for around five minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Store:

This delicious bread will probably be gobbled up in no time, but if you have leftover slices, it’s very easy to store. Like most bread, brown bread can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to five days. To keep your bread from drying out, wrap it in a cloth or plastic wrap before storing.

What is the Difference Between Irish Brown Bread and Irish Soda Bread?

Understanding the difference between these two traditional Irish recipes is essential to finding the perfect bread for your meal. So, if you’re wondering what’s the difference between Irish brown bread and Irish soda bread, it’s the flavor.

Irish brown bread features a savory flavor, making it perfect for enjoy with a meal, such as dinner or breakfast. On the other hand, Irish soda bread has a sweeter flavor, similar to a scone. This type of bread is best served as a snack or dessert with tea or coffee.

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Is Irish Brown Bread healthy?

Since this delicious bread recipe is made with whole wheat flour and other natural ingredients, it’s a healthy choice – especially when compared with store-bought white bread.

Using low-fat buttermilk will help keep the fat content of this bread low. And the whole wheat flour and wheat germ will provide you with extra nutrients, ensuring you stay full longer after eating it.

What Can You Eat with this No Yeast Bread?

The beauty of this simple bread recipe is that it pairs well with just about anything! There are a variety of delicious ways you can eat your brown bread after it has finished baking.

  • Top it. One of my favorite ways to eat Irish brown bread is to add some toppings and simply enjoy the flavor. The bread can be topped with plain butter, blue cheese, or jam, such as this Pepper Peach Jam recipe.
  • Pair it with soup or stew. Traditional Irish stew is a great match for this hearty bread, but it would taste amazing with any warm soup on a cold day. I love it with Apple and Butternut Squash Soup!
  • Make a sandwich. Hearty wheat bread is perfect for building a sandwich. Stack your favorite meats and cheeses between two slices to enjoy a delicious homemade sandwich for lunch.
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Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

An easy to make no yeast bread, authentic Irish Brown Bread, just like the traditional Brown Bread found in Irish pubs and restaurants served with soups or for breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour + about a 1/4 cup for dusting
  • 1 cup toasted wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease and lightly flour an 8x4 loaf pan.
  2. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment (this dough is too wet for the dough hook). Add the dry ingredients and mix well, then add in the wet ingredients and continue to mix until well combined.
  3. To make without a stand mixer, using a large bowl, mix together the flour, wheat germ, salt, and baking soda.
  4. Add in the molasses and buttermilk and mix until well combined.
  5. Dust a work surface with whole wheat flour. Tip out the dough and begin to knead lightly for 1 minute, shaping the dough into a log approximately the same length as the pan.
  6. With the side of your palm or the handle of a wooden spoon, make an impression lengthwise in the dough to create an impression, if desired.
  7. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan before removing and finish cooling the loaf on a rack before slicing and serving.

Notes

Buttermilk substitute: you can use the equivalent of warm milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Keep in a dry, cool place for up to 5 days. If you prefer, you can also make this loaf free form. Shape dough into a round loaf and instead of just 1 impression lengthwise, make 2 impressions in the shape of a cross. Place dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and continue to bake as above.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 75Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 421mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g

Updated 2/2/2021 (original post 3/16/2014)

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Stacey Doyle

Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.

Authentic No Yeast Irish Brown Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Irish Soda Bread and Irish brown bread? ›

If you really want to get technical, brown bread is a form of soda bread since it uses baking soda as the leavening agent. However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour.

Why does Irish Soda Bread not need yeast? ›

The Irishmen learned to adapt to this climate by growing soft wheat that is lower in gluten. The type of flour from this wheat is not compatible with the yeast to make the dough rise; thus, they use baking soda instead to make the famed Irish Soda Bread.

What makes brown bread brown? ›

The beautiful brown colour comes from using brown sugar instead of white sugar and the addition of molasses. Molasses is such an incredible ingredient and gives that loaf of bread a lovely, deep flavour.

What is the difference between Irish bread and yeast bread? ›

It's called Irish Soda Bread because it's made with baking soda instead of yeast. Because of this, it's more dense than your everyday white sandwich bread. Hearty and rustic are the words that come to mind, and it tastes kind of nutty from the wholemeal flour.

Is soda bread healthier than normal bread? ›

Soda bread is quick to prepare and is a low-fat, yeast-free option. It may help alleviate symptoms of bloating and discomfort. If you're new to baking or short on time, our seeded soda bread is an ideal loaf to bake at home.

Why is my brown bread so dense? ›

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense.

Is Irish soda bread bad for you? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

Do the Irish really eat Irish soda bread? ›

Almost every family in Ireland has its own recipe for this delicious bread, hand-written on a slip of floury paper, or tucked away in an old cookbook. While its ingredients may be simple, soda bread is an Irish tradition that has led the country through some of its darkest times.

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Why do people eat brown bread instead of white? ›

Brown bread is a healthier option than white bread because it contains more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The fiber in brown bread helps to promote satiety and can help with weight management. It also helps to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, which can help to regulate blood sugar levels.

What kind of flour is used in brown bread? ›

Brown bread is made with wheat flour. Brown bread retains the germ and bran of wheat flour. This simple brown-coloured bread is made using wheat flour, water, salt, sugar, and yeast.

What is the brown bread called at Cheesecake Factory? ›

Never mind that the actual restaurant name for these skinny little loaves is whole wheat baguette –– because the universally understood moniker is simply brown bread. It's also known as chocolate bread, a nod to the rich brown color but also to one of the four key ingredients for making your own version at home.

What is the name of bread without yeast? ›

Irish soda bread never uses yeast. It gets it's name, and the ability to rise, from baking soda!

What is the most famous Irish bread? ›

It is actually Irish wheaten or “Brown Bread” that is the most popular and arguably the most delicious type of traditional Irish bread that exists. It's so common that you'll find brown bread in almost every home on the island and it's so versatile that it's offered with a range of menu items.

Why is Irish bread so good? ›

It was for everyday use, and its distinctive soft, crumbly, dense texture results from the "soft" wheat that grows in the cool climate of Ireland, meaning that it doesn't have enough protein to form the gluten structure of yeast-raised breads. Hence the use of baking soda, originally potash, as a leavening agent.

What is special about Irish soda bread? ›

Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk. This Irish soda bread recipe is my grandmother's and has been cherished in my family for years. It's dense, yet soft and has the most incredible crusty exterior.

What is another name for Irish soda bread? ›

In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form. In the southern provinces of Ireland, the wholemeal variety is usually known as brown bread and is almost identical to the Ulster wheaten.

What is the purpose of Irish soda bread? ›

When was soda bread first created? This simple Irish classic is a staple in many households, used to mop up hearty stews and wash down pots of tea. It's also a symbol of celebration, baked in droves in the lead up to Saint Patrick's Day.

Is brown soda bread better than white bread? ›

Most people believe brown bread, otherwise known as wholemeal or whole-wheat bread, is better for our health than white. And according to most nutritionists, you'd be correct. Wholegrain products contain more fibre and nutrients than their white counterparts.

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