I think this will be the easiest bread I will ever bake. There is no yeast action, no eggs or even butter. It's as easy as mixing dough for chapathis.
Try this simple white bread recipe using yeast if you want to make a traditional soft and fluffy white bread.
Irish Brown Bread Recipe |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Mins | 30 Mins | 12 Slices |
| Author | Category | Method |
| Madhuram | Breads | Baking |
Recipe for baking irish brown bread without yeast, using buttermilk, all purpose flour and whole wheat flour.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1-1/2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour
- 1/2 Cup Quick Oats
- 1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
- 1-1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1-3/4 Cups Buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
Procedure:
- Heat oven to 425°F/220C for 15 minutes. In bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, quick oats, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
- In small bowl, mix buttermilk with honey. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture; stir to combine.
- Turn dough out onto floured surface and shape into a circle. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 400°F and bake 15 minutes more or until the bread sounds hollow when you tap it. Let cool 20 minutes.
Taste:
- Enjoy it with your favorite jam!
My Notes:
- While combining the dry ingredients, don't forget to seive the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and baking soda to avoid uncooked lumps in the baked bread. I usually seive them, but this time I totally forgot it and found some lumps in the bread.
- Similarly while adding honey to the buttermilk, keep stirring it using a whisk or fork, until the honey dissolves in the buttermilk. Since I had to take a picture, I added the honey and just left it. When I was done taking the photo, I found that the honey had stuck to the bottom of the vessel and had lumped. So I had to use my muscle to dissolve it. Also before measuring the honey, spray the tablespoon with some non stick cooking spray and then pour the honey into the spoon. By doing this the honey will easily pour out from the spoon without sticking.
- Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. The recipe mentions to turn the dough onto a floured surface to shape it into a circle and then transfer to a baking sheet.
- The bread requires 1/2 cup of wheat germ, I guess it can be replaced with whole wheat flour itself. I also added 1 tablespoon flax seed meal.
- I don't know whether I did not flour the surface well or what, this step was a bit messy and I was not able to shape it properly. So I sprayed both my hands with vegetable oil and removed the dough from the surface and transferred it to the greased baking sheet and shaped it in the baking sheet itself. This was very easy.
- Bake it for 15 minutes at 425°F and for another 15 min at 400F. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before you can cut it. The bread has a nice nutty smell and flavor.
Hi Madhuram,
I baked this Irish Brown Bread and came out well. Only thing is top layer came out a bit harder which i had to remove while serving. Also i added 1 tbspn apple cider vinegar instead of Flaxseed Meal as i dont get that in Chennai. Is that bcoz of this, i got the top layer harder.
I think over baking and/or over mixing makes the bread harder. I don’t think it’s because of substituting apple cider vinegar, because by doing that you should have got an airy and light bread. Flax seed is very much an Indian product Nandhini. It’s “alli virai” in Tamil and alsi in Hindi, so try it by those names either in big departmental stores or naatu marundhu kadai.
Hi Madhuram, As i dont eat Honey, can u suggest a substitute for Honey in ur above brown bread recipe.
Nandhini, why don’t you try maple syrup, brown rice syrup. I think even simple sugar syrup should be fine.
hi Madhuram,
this seems to be a very tempting recipe…. i don’t have wheat germ in hand right now and not interested in buying it just for this recipe…. so how do u think i can substitute its quantity in this recipe… i do have flax seed with me… any suggestions or ideas?? and also is it ok to bake it with unbleached whole wheat flour? ‘coz thats what i have in hand now…. waiting to see ur reply :)…. have a gr8 weekend!!
Madhu you can use whole wheat flour (bleached or unbleached) itself instead of wheat germ.
Hello.. came across your website today…
This looks such an awesome recipe that i’m inspired to go and try it out as soon as I get home today!
One question – it it OK to avoid the all-purpose flour? I know the texture may not come out as good, but I love to make all my recipes free of bleached flours.
Thanks Ramya. Sure you can use whole wheat flour itself, as far as you are ok with the nutty flavor and different texture. If you can get whole wheat pastry flour you can use that also in all recipes that require all purpose flour. It gives a nice texture to the baked goods without compromising on the health benefits. It’s available in Whole Foods and other natural/organic stores.
hi madhuram this a nice bread & what a relief to hear a bread recipe without yeast.
Yes Hema, I’m not yet ready to use yeast.
you’ve got to be kidding me :O
Interesting recipe to see. I really amazed after seeing your blog having no use of egg. Include more recipes having no cream and heavy ingredients.
Dear Pritya, thanks for stopping by. I got this recipe in Parents magazine. They feature a lot of such simple and interesting recipes.
Thanks for dropping by Libby. Your idea sounds good, hope it will taste good too.
Hi Madhuram,
I just found your site by way of IMBB, and I will be back again! It looks as if I could replace the buttermilk with soy milk + lemon juice, so it’s got dairy free potential as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Dear madhuram. Wow! That looks easy and yummy…yes, pls include step by step photographs. Where did you find this treasure of a recipe?
Thanks Rupa. I really appreciate your comment. Get a oven and start baking girl!
Thanks everybody, do give it a try. It would be good with a hot bowl of soup too.
happy birthday 🙂
Got to know from the comments…and the bread looks so very yummy……………wow, you are so good at it….I must soon buy an oven since I know your blog now….
nice bread recipe
Hey, thanxx for this great recipe, bread looks good!!
Thanks for the yeast/butter free bread. Yours looks nice.
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The recipe looks so simple and thanks for sharing Madhuram.
Wish you a wonderful Happy Birthday 😛
That surely looks like something I’d love to try! thanks for sharing madhuram:) btw, I too have eggless thumbprint cookies on my blog today!:)
Thanks for the step-by-step photos! Any bread without yeast is my friend! 🙂
Thats an easy bread recipe..Love the idea of using flaxseed
I want to taste it right away Madhu 🙁
Looks nice as a dinner option with dhal perhaps 😯
I like this fat free bread madhuram