Traditional Irish Guinness brown bread made with hearty whole grains and delicious Guinness stout. Ready in under 1 hour!
Traditional Irish Guinness Brown Bread
Brown bread is a classic Irish bread similar to Irish soda bread in that it’s a quick bread leavened with baking soda, but made with whole grains including whole wheat flour and oats, hence the name. It’s not sweetened aside from a bit of molasses which also adds color and a malted bitter flavor.
One variation of Irish brown bread is to use Guinness for a portion of the liquid ingredients. The full-bodied stout adds a delicious flavor that pairs well with the whole grains. It’s hearty and goes well with stews and soups, but it is equally scrumptious on its own with butter and honey for breakfast or served with tea.
Table of contents
The Ingredients
Guinness: The star ingredient of this Irish brown bread is Ireland’s famous Guinness stout. Guinness adds a rich malted flavor with notes of cocoa, coffee and roasted barley. Use Guinness Extra Stout or Guinness Draught in this recipe. Other stouts such as oatmeal stout may be used instead as well.
Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour: Traditional Irish brown bread is made with coarse wholemeal flour, which is milled from Irish-grown soft wheat. In the States, stone ground whole wheat flour is the closest thing that is commercially available. Of course, you can mill your own coarse whole wheat flour from soft wheat berries if you have a grain mill at home. King Arthur Flour makes an Irish-Style Flour for soda bread as well.
Irish Porridge Oats: In Ireland, porridge oats are typically added to brown bread recipes. They are similar to what we call old-fashioned rolled oats in the States. Quick-cooking oats, which are rolled oats that have been broken down a bit to cook faster, can also be used in this recipe.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the liquid left during the process of making butter. It is usually cultured or soured which gives it a lower pH. It is preferred because its acidity will react with the baking soda with is alkaline (has a high pH) and will create air bubbles that leaven the bread. An easy replacement for buttermilk is any type of milk (dairy or pant milk) mixed with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. I like to use apple cider vinegar for this.
Oil or Butter: Melted butter or any neutral cooking oil can be used here. I prefer to use extra-light olive oil for baking and it works well in this recipe. The added fat enriches the bread and helps keep it moist with a soft texture. Melted butter will add a buttery flavor that goes well with the whole grains and creamy Guinness.
Molasses or Treacle: Molasses is the byproduct of cane sugar production. The dark syrup is sweet with a malted flavor and a hint of bitterness. It is hygroscopic meaning it has the ability to absorb moisture from the air and in turn, helps to keep the bread soft and moist. Treacle is the less bitter and sweeter European counterpart to molasses.
Baking Soda or Bicarb Soda: Baking soda is the term used in the U.S. for sodium bicarbonate, a leavening agent used to give quick breads like soda bread their rise. It is commonly referred to as bicarb soda in Ireland and the U.K. It is alkaline and needs to be combined with an acidic ingredient like buttermilk to react and leaven bread.
Salt: Salt brings out the flavors in this bread. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in all my cooking and baking recipes.
How to Make Irish Brown Bread
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Start by preheating the oven then grease and line a pullman loaf pan or a standard 1 pound loaf pan with parchment paper cut to fit the pan. Gather all of the ingredients to make the Guinness brown bread.
Step 2: Mix the Guinness Soda Bread Batter
Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl then make a well in the center. Add the liquid ingredients to the well and quickly combine everything. Be careful not to overmix the batter. The baking soda will react right away to work quickly to get the bread batter into the oven.
Step 3: Bake the Guinness Bread
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle rolled oats over the top of the batter. Bake the brown bread for 45 minutes. It is ready when it is slightly domed with some cracks on top, dark brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Cool and Serve
Let the bread cool for a few minutes in the pan then lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper as an aid. Let the bread cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing into it. Serve this traditional Irish brown bread with savory stews and soups or slather it in Irish butter and honey or jam for breakfast or with tea.
Tips for Making Guinness Brown Bread
- Weigh the ingredients – I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients when baking. It is the most accurate way to bake and ensures that you will get the correct results from any recipe.
- Sift the baking soda – Baking soda tends to clump up easily so it is always a good idea to sift it into the dry ingredients when working with it to remove any lumps. Lumps of baking soda can leave a metallic taste in the bread when baked.
- Don’t over-mix – After the liquid ingredients are combined with the dry ingredients, the baking soda will start to react immediately so it is important to work quickly and mix the batter just until it is combined, which should only take less than 30 seconds. Get the bread into the pan and into the oven asap.
- Use a thermometer – Because all ovens are different it is always a good idea to use an oven thermometer so you know the true temperature of your oven. They are inexpensive and widely available.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, replace Guinness with any other dark stout beer such as oatmeal stout. If you’d like to leave it out completely just replace it with more buttermilk.
I have not tried making a gluten-free version of this recipe yet but it should be possible. Try swapping the whole wheat flour with an equal amount of 1-1 gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and use gluten-free rolled oats.
Yes, slice the brown bread and store it in the freezer in freezer-safe bags for up to 6 months. Warm the slices in the toaster as needed.
For more delicious foods to make for St. Patrick’s Day check out these recipes:
- Sourdough Soda Bread
- Irish Soda Bread Scones
- Vegan Irish Soda Bread
- Spelt Soda Bread
- Vegan Matcha Cocoa Cashew Cake
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Irish Guinness Brown Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g stoneground whole wheat flour (≈2-2/3 cups) or coarse wholemeal flour
- 100 g rolled oats (≈3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) plus extra for the top of the bread
- 6 g kosher salt (1-1/2 teaspoons)
- 10 g baking soda (2 teaspoons)
- 330 g Guinness stout one 330 ml bottle
- 165 g buttermilk (≈2/3 cup) or 160g milk or non-dairy milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of vinegar
- 30 g olive oil (≈2 tablespoons) or melted butter
- 40 g molasses (2 tablespoons) or treacle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Grease and line a pullman loaf pan or a standard 1 pound loaf pan with parchment paper cut to fit the pan.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the whole wheat flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Sift in the baking soda to remove and lumps.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the stout, buttermilk, oil and molasses. Then stir until just combined. Don’t overmix and work quickly to preserve the leavening properties of the baking soda.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle rolled oats over the top of the batter.
- Bake the bread for 45 minutes or until it is slightly domed with some cracks on top, dark brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool for a few minutes in the pan then lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper as an aid. Let the bread cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing it.
Video
Notes
- Store the brown bread in a bag a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 3 days or slice it and freeze the slices in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.
- Buttermilk can be replaced with any milk of your choice mixed with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
- For a vegan version, use oil instead of butter and plant milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of vinegar for the buttermilk.
Sara Gordon
I haven’t tried this version of brown bread, yet, but it already looks better than the other two that I made last week. They were both awful. I had such good brown bread when I visited Ireland and hope to find the best recipe here. Can you give me the equivalent measurements, that you use, in cups for the flour and oats? I don’t want to end up with a tough loaf again. Thank you!
Kaity Farrell
Hi Sara, Thanks for your comment! I’ve updated the recipe with approximate cup measurements for you. Cups measurements are not as accurate as measuring by the gram and I do suggest using a kitchen scale for the best results from my recipes. I hope you like this brown bread loaf. It was very soft and tender, not tough. Because the baking soda activates right away it’s important to get the batter into the pan and then into the oven as quickly as possible. Please come back and leave a star rating and let me know how it turns out for you. Thanks!
Maree
is it plain or self rising flour?
Kaity Farrell
Neither – this recipe uses stoneground whole wheat/whole meal flour.
Liz M
Hi Kaity
About to make the bread, but wondering if the oats should be milled first? Hope not because I don’t own one, ha.
Kaity Farrell
No, they do not need to be milled. I was milling wheat berries in the video to make my own stone-ground whole wheat flour. You don’t need to do this though. I’ve linked recommended flours and oats in the post. You can use your favorite whole wheat flour.
Allyson
Loved this recipe! The bread was flavorful and you can taste the stout but it’s not overpowering. It freezes well and is perfect for my morning toast. Thanks for the great recipe!
kaity
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Mary
I was in Ireland this summer and this type of bread was served everywhere at breakfast. I loved it so much but couldn’t find the right recipe until I found this! Thank you, it was perfect, especially toasted with jam.
Kaity Farrell
This makes me so happy! Thank you, Mary!
Neil
Like others I fell in love with this brown bread when I visited Ireland last year. Looked at a lot of different recipes before deciding to give your version a go. Fantastic! Great with smoked salmon spread. I used Bob’s Red Mill stoneground wheat flour and the flavor was great, but the texture was a bit “smoother” than what I remembered. I plan to order some extra coarse flour from Ireland in hopes of getting a more rustic, nubbly chew.
Kaity Farrell
I’m so glad you like it, Neil! Thanks for your feedback. I going to need to try it with salmon spread now, mmm!
Juli
Late last year I visited Ireland with some old friends from High School. Everything about Ireland was amazing; the history/landscape/food/friendly people. I left a piece of my heart there and plan to return next year. When I returned home, I wanted to recreate the wonderful brown bread I was served during my trip. I even brought home a bag of Odlum’s Extra Coarse Wholemeal flour with me! After searching for recipes online, I stumbled on yours and since I had all the ingredients at hand, I made my first loaf a few weeks ago. The smell, flavor and texture were perfect, and took me back to Ireland. This is a very easy recipe, and I can see myself baking this for the rest of my life. Now, if I could only get my hands on more Odlum’s flour!
Kaity Farrell
Thank you so much for your feedback, Juli! I’m so happy you loved the recipe!
Georgie
I have a sourdough starter can I sub this for baking soda? If so how much starter?
Thanks for a great looking recipe I’m new to your site and looking forward to making some of your wonderful recipes.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your question, Georgie! I haven’t made this bread with starter, so I’m not sure of the exact measurements you’d need. If you are adding starter for a sour flavor then I would suggest adding about 100g of mature sourdough discard and still use baking soda as the leavening agent. I don’t suggest using starter to leaven this bread, because it is meant to be a quick bread and is made from a dough that is more like a sticky cake batter rather than a kneaded bread dough. That said, if you want to use starter to leaven the bread in place of baking soda then I would suggest adding anywhere from 50-100g of very active and bubbly starter and let the dough bulk ferment until it increases to about 50-75% in volume before baking it. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turned out.
Dianne
The bread turned out delicious! Making another one today!
Kaity Farrell
Thanks, Dianne! So happy you liked the recipe! Please come back and leave a star rating when you have a chance. Thanks!
Ursula Leahy
I used your Irish Guinness Brown Bread recipe for St. Patrick’s Day dinner this year, with one alteration. (Canola oil, rather than olive oil for milder flavor) We served it with Kerry Gold butter, available at our local grocery store. My family loved it!
Just finished the loaf for breakfast this morning warmed in the toaster oven. Could still smell the Guinness aroma! Time to make another!
Kaity Farrell
Thanks you, Ursula! I love the smell of this bread toasting, too. So good! Thanks again for leaving your feedback and rating – it means so much to me!
Olibia
Easy and delicious. Yes , authentic !
Kaity Farrell
Thank you, Olibia! Please leave a star rating on the recipe when you have a chance. Thanks!
Molly
My family loves this brown bread. It tastes quite similar to our favorite version from a B&B in the Burren. The gram/teaspoon equivalence for salt seems off and the bread tastes salty to me so I dialed it back to 1-1/2 teaspoons. Also dialed back the molasses to 1 tablespoon. I soak the oats in Guinness and buttermilk while I prep the rest of the ingredients and warm the oven.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Molly!
Hugh McGlynn
So easy to make. It came out looking exactly the same as the picture and tasted absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe. I will definitely be making it again
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Hugh!
Kitty
I lost my recipe for Guinness Brown Bread as well as a scrumptious recipe for spice cake made with Guinness so I can’t wait to try this. The butter also looks divine, possibly creamed with a bit of honey and citrus?
Kaity Farrell
Thanks, Kitty! I think I whipped the butter with a bit of orange marmalade. So good!
Adam
Good recipe. I cooked for 65’ in a fan oven at 180. As it was still wet inside. I also add very quickly to a preheated oven while the stout is still bubbly .
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Adam! You may want to test your oven’s temperature gauge with an oven thermometer. The correct conversion for a fan oven should be 160˚C so 180˚C in a fan oven would have been hotter than needed and would cause the outside of the bread to cook fully in a shorter amount of time before the interior is done cooking. But if the oven temp is off and the oven is running at a lower temp than the gauge reads then recipes will take longer to bake.
Kaity Farrell
If you’ve tried this recipe please don’t forget to leave a star rating with your comment. Simply click the stars right above where you type your comment before publishing it. Star ratings help my recipes reach more people in search results. Thank you so much!
Adam Kennedy
Excellent recipe. Works every time. I served with a Seafood chowder.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Adam!
Nat
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! I’ve made this loaf twice already and it has never failed. The only disappointment is that it’s gone on the next day, leaving you wanting more. A perfect little piece of Ireland in the kitchen. Thank you again.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your review and feedback, Nat!
Chris Perrin
Hard to believe but this worked out!! I used a 12 grain flour but was very confused when the finished batter was a soupy mess – thought it would be more substantial. Oven took 20 minutes longer but it is delicious!!
Kaity Farrell
Happy to hear it worked out! The batter shouldn’t be too soupy. Perhaps you added to much liquid by accident? If you used a can of Guinness instead of the bottle you need to measure the amount out as the cans contain more than the bottles. You can see the consistency the batter should be in the video shown in the recipe card if that helps in the future. Thanks for your feedback!
Jenn
Great recipe! Very tasty! However, I think the salt conversion from grams to teaspoons is wrong.
Kaity Farrell
I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in all of my cooking and recipes. 1 teaspoon of that brand covert to 4 grams. If you use fine grain salt or table salt then you need to reduce the volume amount if you aren’t weighing the ingredients out. Weighing the ingredients will yield the most accurate results. Hope that helps and thanks for your feedback!
Joanna
Yes I Made this – I have searched and searched for a really good Guinness Brown Bread recipe – and what’s worse – I live in Ireland. This recipe make the best ever loaf. I love it and will be sharing it with all my fellow foodies!
Kaity Farrell
Thank you so much, Joanna! I’m so glad this recipe is being well received in its homeland. The highest praise I could ask ever ask for. I appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback and recipe rating. xx Kaity
Leonard
I made this on the weekend me and my beloved Riley loved it so much I made it again the next weekend
Kaity Farrell
Thank you, Leonard! So happy to hear it was well received! Please leave a star rating with your review next time. <3
Dotty Neslen
Want to make the brown bread.
Stephen
Hi there im just wondering I’m doing your brown bread tomorrow in work just wondering if I can drop the temperature down to 160 as I’m using an industrial oven text back when ur free thanks
Kaity Farrell
Yes, that should be fine.
Christine
I followed the recipe to a “t” – the bread was perfect! Almost as good as what we got in County Clare! I wouldn’t tweak a thing in this recipe! Thanks, Kaity!
Kaity Farrell
That makes me so happy! Thank you, Christine!
Angela
I’d cut the salt in half. It’s very salty.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Angela. What type of salt did you use and how did you measure it – by volume or by weight?
june-aloha
I just made this as I found old beer, lol! Maybe because of this, batter was as not as moist as your video. But taste so good with honey butter:) Also, good for my bowel movement, lol!
Thanks for great recipe!
Kaity Farrell
Lol, yes! All that fiber is great!
Renee
Just returned from my first trip to Ireland and I fell in love with this bread. This is perfect. I’ve polished off one loaf and plan to make more as hostess gifts this weekend. It is sooo easy to make! And it already brings back back wonderful memories. Thank you! PS I weighed all ingredients and I’m glad I did; estimated volume measurements were close but definitely not exact.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback and review, Renee! I agree, measuring the ingredients by weight is the way to go!
Lisa Kepinski
Delicious and easy to make
Kaity Farrell
Thank you, Lisa!
Rj
I’m wondering if one could have better results if all or half or the baking soda was added at the very end of mixing all the ingredients? That way it wouldn’t undergo any activation until just before placing in the oven?
Kaity Farrell
let us know if you try it!
Siobhan O Neill
Excellent recipe. Came out perfect. Delicious depth of flavour. Thank you
Kaity Farrell
So happy to hear that, Siobhan! Thank you!
Liz Maloney
I have made this three times now. First time was gluten-free version, substituting, King Arthur GF flour— it turned out delicious! That loaf was for my husband. Next two times I have made w stone ground red wheat flour from a nearby farm, which was the closest I could find to the amazingly fresh Irish flours I had recently in Co Clare. I love how fresh bread was served with almost every meal. Froze half the loaf to enjoy over a couple of weeks. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kaity Farrell
So happy to hear it was a hit, Liz! Thanks for your feedback and review!
Jane
Please explain the 7 4slice 292 calorie serving.
Kaity Farrell
Ha! It was a typo. It should be one slice. I updated it and recalculated it for 12 servings instead of 8 – so thinner slices.
Susan
Could I used stone ground whole wheat pastry flour?
Kaity Farrell
I think that should be fine. It’s a rustic bread and very forgiving recipe.
Marj Hardman
Found it was too salty, perhaps I should have used unsalted butter.
Kaity Farrell
Yes, feel free to reduce the salt or use unsalted butter to your preference. I like salt in my breads to bring out the flavor but it can be adjusted easily to your liking.
Jeff
Delicious, and surprisingly quick to make. This was exactly the flavor and density I was looking for when trying to replicate my favorite brown bread in Ireland.
However, I feel like the bread could be even better if I adjust the recipe for altitude (about 1600 meters or 1 mile). Do you have any suggestions for recipe adjustments at altitude?
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback, Jeff! So glad you like this recipe. I’m not familiar enough with baking at high altitudes to give you recommendations but the King Arthur Baking site has some great tips on how to adjust recipes for high altitudes here: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking. If you try any adjustments, please report back and let us know. Thanks!
Joey
This is one of my favorites by far. I make it regularly now just to have something wholesome and delicious in the kitchen that goes with breakfast, lunch or dinner, often grabbing a quick slice while running out the door. I have made it for my neighbors, friends and coworkers and they are always surprised because they have never had bread like this. I explain it is common in Ireland and that I have to order the whole meal flour from Ireland because you cant find in the States. Smeared with butter and drizzled with pure maple syrup is my preferred way to eat it.
Kaity Farrell
So happy to hear this! Thank you, Joey!
kelly
hi just wondering if the molasses can be subtracted from the recipe? I give up added sugar for lent every year and unfortuanitly st Pattys day is right in the middle of it. I don’t fully know if the molasses is needed to make good brown bread-just looking for advice
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your question! You should be ok with omitting the molasses because it is a small amount. Just note that the bread may not be not be as soft and moist without the molasses.
kelly
thanks so much! the bread just came out of the oven and looks exactly like the photo just not as brown. I will update you on the taste as soon as it has cooled down but so far so good!
Ali
So easy and turned out delicious! For a special treat, toast it, add some butter, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt….heaven! I’ll be making this every St Patrick’s day now
Kaity Farrell
Sounds heavenly! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, thank you!
Stefanie Vasquez
This recipe reminds me of the brown bread we had at our B&B in Ireland and all the brown bread we ate in all the pubs! The recipe was perfect!!! We loved it!!! Google for the win in finding you! Glad to have a bread recipe that can be made so quickly!!! Also caveat – must keep Guinness in the fridge 😉
Kaity Farrell
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Kate
Great recipe! So simple and turns out delicious everytime.
Kaity Farrell
Thank you for your feedback and review!