Mairead’s Irish Brown Bread.
If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
then maybe at the closing of your day,
you can sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh,
and see the sun go down on Galway Bay.
Mairead’s Irish Brown Bread. Even though I’m from Dublin, that song Galway Bay, will always bring a tear to my eye. On a recent visit to my homeland, Bill and I drove to the wild west of Ireland, to Galway, to meet my brother and his family for lunch at Donnelly’s pub in Barna. It was a great reunion and the fresh locally caught seafood was superb
Mairead’s Irish Brown Bread.
photo by Wm. Stetz
. We ordered the clam chowder which arrived piping hot, thick and creamy with generous chunks of smoked haddock, salmon, hake and floury potatoes. It was accompanied with a basket of Irish brown bread and rich yellow butter.
The bread tasted almost as good as my sisters, but it’s hard to beat Mairead’s Irish Brown bread. Its an earthy whole wheat bread. When she and her husband Vincent ran their successful B&B called the Brambles in Monkstown, County Dublin, she served her bread with a full Irish breakfast. Vin would charm the guests from around the world with tall tales that warmed their hearts. And Mairead filled their bellies with fine Irish rashers (bacon) farm eggs, pork sausage, black and white pudding and a grilled tomato.
So you are in for a treat because I am going to share her wholesome recipe. It’s simple to make and easy to eat. Its good toasted and slathered in creamy butter and preserves. Or served with a soup and a salad of greens. At Christmas time I usually make a few loaves, and serve delicate slices of my home cured Gravlax on top of a slice with a squeeze of lemon.
Recipe
- 11 oz organic wholewheat flour
- 2 oz organic white flour
- 3 oz Oatmeal
- 1 Tbs wheat germ
- 1 Tbs bran
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 organic egg
- 2 Tbs Veg oil
- 14oz Buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350
grease an 8 x 4 loaf tin
Mix all dried ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together egg, oil and buttermilk then
add to the dry ingredients and combine well.
pour into the loaf tin and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour
leave to cool then remove from tin.
Note:
Serve with butter, and its nice and nutty toasted the next day.
Scrumptious with homemade Paté.
Louise, I’m not a baker but I love bread and this recipe for the Irish Brown Bread has my mouth watering and my stomach grumbling. It’s such that I have no choice but give your bread recipe a try. Stay tuned when I report back with update. Can’t say when, but some time soon! Thanks.
Thank you Jasmin, It’s super easy to make.
This looks scrumptious, Louise! I’m overjoyed that you’re sharing your vast treasury of culinary masterpieces!
Hello Therese, thank you for your comment. Stay tuned.
I’m so trying this, looking forward to the cookbook.
Hi Anne let me know how it turns out for you.
My mum used make one very like this but used yoghurt rather than buttermilk. I must see if I can hunt down her recipe
Hello Grainne, please share your mom’s recipe when you find it, would love to try it.
I drove 20 miles,there was no way I’d put anything but Organic produced butter on this bread, I brought two loafs with me for my farming friends to try. The family were getting ready for a late get together after a hard day on the fields. The table was full with naturally shaped vegetables, the ones you never find in the store, meats, sausages and a big butter dish brimming with pride! Unwrapping Mairead’s bread from the cloth I brought it in, I could sense the curiosity, they were waiting….
I sliced with great pride in my work, the instructions Louise where again very easy to follow, I even think your sister would have be delighted with the finished loaves. The knife cut doorstep sizes,then with the butter heaped on every body fell silent,you could hear the crusts breaking,if you listened carefully. The flavour blew them away, and we polished off both loaves along with the rest of the tables offerings.
I shared the recipe with my friends and told them about your blog.
Thanks Louise for taking me along a road that makes myself and others enjoy cooking and baking.
Regards,
Karl
Thank you Karl, you have a way with words that I appreciate. A gathering of friends and sharing food is always the best way to connect. What part of the country or world are you from? 20 miles to get butter is a long way.
Cheers,
Louise
Hi Louise,
we live in what we call paradise, a place where tourists are few but if the rest knew,we’d be inundated and lose our freedom. Driving miles for supplies is part of that freedom. Farming lands full of wonderful food. We love your blog, the recipes bring the best out of both cook and the produce. Next we’re going to try the Cod dish. Again a drive will be undertaken, I’ll let you know how we get on.
Manter o delicioso receitasas we say around here.
Regards Karl.