Irish Brown Bread for St. Patrick’s Day

I love the brown bread that’s served at almost every pub and restaurant in Ireland. It’s dense and coarse and full of whole grain flavor. I’ve tried several different recipes to recreate the taste but never came close until this recipe that I’m sharing today. I found it a few years ago in Good Housekeeping. This bread doesn’t taste exactly like the delicious bread I remember in Galway, but it’ll work until I can return. 

Heat a baking sheet to 350 degrees. (I use a stone.)

2 C whole wheat flour

2 C all-purpose flour

1 1/2 C wheat bran

1 C wheat germ

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 stick butter

2 1/4 C buttermilk

In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers. Stir in the buttermilk. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead about 5 or 6 times. Shape into a ball and flatten to about 9 inches in diameter.

Remove stone from oven and place dough round on the center. Cut an X about 1/2 inch deep across the top of the round. Bake for 1 hour. Move to a cooling rack. Cover with a cotton towel and cool for an hour before slicing.

Enjoy the bread with Irish cheeses like Tipperary, Blarney Castle, or Dubliner. We also like dunking a slice in some spinach soup–my family’s favorite on March 17th.

Happy St. Paddy’s Day.