Irish Brown Bread ~ Easy Guinness Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (2024)

Irish Brown Bread ~

Hearty, earthy, and rustic no-knead loaf bread.

Serve withIrish Stewfor yourSt. Patrick’s Day feast

Guinness Beer Bread Recipe

I like this brown bread recipe because it’s an easy way to bring a taste of Ireland to the table. Irish brown bread can be toasted and topped with cream cheese for a sweet and savory breakfast treat. It’s also delicious served with butter alongside a hearty stew.

This quick bread is also made without yeast, so there’s no waiting around for the bread dough to rise. The secret ingredient is dark beer. The high level of carbonation in Guinnessstoutbeer helps to create bubbles in the dough, leading to a lighter, airier texture in the finished bread. Also, the yeast that’s already present in the beer contributes to the rising process. So, while beer isn’t a traditionalleavening agentlike yeast or baking powder, it effectively serves that purpose for ourGuinness bread.

Ingredients for Guinness Brown Bread

You will need the following:

• 1 cup oat milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cupswhole wheat flour
• 1 cuprolled oats
• 1/2 cupdark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoonsbaking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 ouncesIrishstoutbeer, Guinness recommended

Ingredient Notes

• Oat Milk– Unsweetened almond milk also works well for this recipe.
• Lemon Juice–Lemon juice is added to the plant milk to give it a buttermilk taste and texture.
• Whole Wheat Flour– TraditionalIrish brown breadis made withwhole wheat flour,which gives it a dense texture andnutty flavor. All-purpose flourcan be substituted if needed and will still result in a tasty loaf.
• Rolled Oats–Rolled oatsgive the bread ahearty texturewhile adding a bit of rustic appeal. If you want to usequick-cooking oats, note that they will still add some texture to the bread, but it will be less pronounced compared torolled oatsand the texture may be softer simply becausequick oatsalso tend to absorb moisture more quickly.
• Dark Brown Sugar–Dark brown sugaris preferred over light brown sugar in this recipe for its richer flavor and deeper caramel notes.
• Butter​ – I use vegan butter.
• IrishStoutBeer– This is anIrish breadso we’re using Irish beer. Onebottle of Guinnessis all you need and their regular ornon-alcoholic beercan be used for this recipe.

How to Make Guinness Brown Bread

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a 9×5-inch metalloaf panwithparchment paperor spray with flour-basedcooking spray.

STEP TWO: In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and lemon juice. Set aside. The milk will thicken and curdle slightly as it stands; this is normal.

STEP THREE: In a medium mixing bowl, combine thedry ingredients–whole wheat flour,rolled oats,dark brown sugar,baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

STEP FOUR: In alarge mixing bowl, gently stir together the milk/lemon juice mixture,melted butter, vanilla extract, andIrishstoutbeer.

STEP FIVE: In thelarge mixing bowl, add thedry ingredientsto thewet ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated; thebread batterwill be thin,like cake batter.Pour batterinto the preparedloaf pan.

STEP SIX: Bake in thepreheated ovenfor 35 minutes.

STEP SEVEN: When the 35-minute baking time is done, without removing the bread from the oven, reduce the temperature to 325°F. Continue baking for an additional 35 minutes.

STEP EIGHT: When the second 35-minute round of baking is done, leave the bread in the oven, turn off the heat, and open the oven door. Let the bread to cool down slowly in the oven for 30 minutes.

STEP NINE: Remove bread from the oven, then carefully turn it out onto awire rack. Serve warm or atroom temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best beer to use for this recipe?

• Guinness, for two reasons. #1 – Guinness is vegan. #2 – I mean, really, is there any other beer that saysSt. Patrick’s Dayquite like a Guinness? No, there’s not. So, there you go.

Do I really have to let the bread cool down in the oven?

• Technically, no but… you really should and here’s why: A long and slow cool down in the oven is the key to keeping the top crust nice and crisp.

MoreSt. Patrick’s DayRecipes You’ll Love!

• Irish Potato Pie
• Glazed Corned Seitan Roast
• Whole Grain Mustard Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Cabbage Steaks​
• Potato Cake

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