Irish Brown Bread

Any time I make one of my favorite soup recipes or hearty stew recipes, I must have a thick slice of bread to sop up all the goodness left at the bottom of the bowl. I absolutely must. This is that bread! Irish brown bread has this deeply nutty, complex, almost malty taste to it that is so beyond delicious. It's also endlessly versatile. Serve it fresh out of the oven slathered in jam and your favorite brand of butter, or toast slices with some good cheddar (Irish cheddar if you can find it!) for an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich to dunk in Irish stew. It's exactly what your Irish feast is missing on St. Patrick's Day.

Why is brown bread so popular in Ireland? 

In Ireland, brown bread is as common as a pint of Guinness. Most versions are made with Irish beer, too! The bread became popular many years ago due, in part, to the low cost of wheat flour. Back then, white flour was more expensive. That's not the case anymore, but it has continued to stick around.

Is Irish brown bread the same as Irish soda bread?

No, Irish brown bread and Irish soda bread are very different. They're both quick breads, which means they don't require any yeast or time to rise, but Irish brown bread has a nutty flavor from the whole wheat flour, molasses, stout beer, and oats. Irish soda bread, however, uses just white flour and is much milder in taste.