Easy Irish Brown Bread

We have some traditions for St. Patrick’s Day, including wearing green, laughing at what the resident leprechauns have been up to, and trying new Irish recipes for dinner. We’ve had our share of corned beef and cabbage and rainbow jello, but this year, we enjoyed Irish stew (which, without the beer, is basically regular stew, haha), and brown bread. It bakes like a quick bread, but has a rich, nutty flavor. It goes great with a slather of butter and spread of jam or a slice of sharp cheddar. It’s versatile and hearty enough that I can see it being added to our regular rotation.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cups rolled oats, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons brown sugar OR molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 3/4 buttermilk (regular milk will do in a pinch)
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease an 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix until you have a wet, sticky batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle oats over the top to cover. Transfer to the oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly (a thermometer will read around 205F). Err on the side of over-baking to avoid unbaked batter at the center — it’s forgiving! Turn out onto a cooling rack and let rest five minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Alexandra’s Kitchen for the recipe inspiration!