Irish Brown Bread Recipe

A friend of mine recently took a trip to Ireland and mentioned wanting to find a recipe for Irish Brown Bread. I was very excited to find a recipe in my new favorite garage sale find - Bread Winners by Mel London. It's a cookbook filled with over 200 bread recipes that was compiled in 1979. I haven't found a recipe I didn't love!

This Irish Brown Bread is no exception. It's easy to make because there's no rising involved, which means no "scary" kneading or yeast necessary, and no need to plan your day around the first or second long rise of your bread. Just take about 30 minutes to put the dough together, bake and enjoy!

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Irish Brown Bread Recipe
recipe adapted from Mel London's Bread Winners
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
3-1/2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup caraway seeds (I omitted)
1/2 Tbsp honey
2 cups buttermilk*, room temperature

*make your own buttermilk by adding 2 Tbsp lemon juice to the milk to equal 2 cups. Let set to room temperature.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in raisins and toss to coat. Stir in caraway seeds.

Add in honey and then stir while adding in buttermilk, slowly. Dough should be sticky, but able to be handled. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour and stir, repeating until sticky, but dough has come together.

Shape dough into an oval or a round and transfer to a baking sheet covered with silicone baking mat OR grease and flour a cookie sheet. Cut deeply into the top of the loaf in the shape of a cross and dust lightly with additional flour.

Bake for 45 minutes. Dough should sound hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing.

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