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Mimi

Irish Brown Bread

A no-knead, traditional Irish brown bread made with coarse wholemeal flour.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: irish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3.5 cups Coarse wholemeal flour like Odlums)
  • 1/2 cup Flour, all-purpose or bread flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 5 + 10 oz lukewarm water
  • 1 tbsp Golden syrup or treacle (can use dark molasses)
  • 2.5 tsp Active dry yeast

Equipment

  • Loaf tin 1-2 lb.

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
  2. In a bowl, add 5 oz of the water and stir in the molasses. Once incorporated, stir in the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the yeast mix and the remaining 10 oz of water into the dry flour mix and stir (I used a stand mixer with dough hook, but this is totally doable by hand) until the ingredients become batter like. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  4. Grease the loaf pan and add parchment paper to the pan (*see notes for tips). Pour the batter to the pan and smooth with an offset spatula or your hand. Allow for a final rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.
  5. In a 450 degree oven, bake the bread for 20 minutes. Following that, reduce the heat to 400 degrees.
  6. Take the loaf out of the pan by loosening at the sides and removing using parchment paper. Place the loaf upside down on the baking rack and bake for another 15 minutes, until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

  • *A good idea where loaf pans are concerned for cakes or bread is to cut a piece of parchment paper the length of the pan, plus at least 6 inches in either direction. Then, cut a similar piece of parchment the width of the pan plus 6 inches up either side. You can fold the paper over all four edges and use small binder clips to secure. When it is time to release the bread or cake, just loosen the parchment slips and use to remove cleanly and completely.
 
  • To let the bread rise, I place the bread with a towel over it (damp is good) in a 200 degree oven, then shut off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. It's a nice warm, but slow moving temperature and gets the job done.
 
  • Once you have the coarse wholemeal flour, do as I have done if you don't make this bread every week: freeze it!