Easy Guinness Brown Bread Recipe (Traditional Irish Style)

Guinness brown bread loaf sliced on a wooden board with butter spread on a piece and a bottle of Guinness in the background.

5 from 2 votes

Easy Guinness Brown Bread Recipe (Traditional Irish Style)

A delicious and hearty Guinness brown bread recipe that’s easy to make, full of flavor, and packed with wholesome ingredients like wholemeal flour and oats.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: irish

Servings: slices or 1 loaf

Calories: 180kcal

Author: Maria Lucey RD

Equipment

1 2lb loaf tin

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

450 g wholemeal flour
25 g old fashioned (rolled) oats known as porridge oats in Ireland
2 teaspoon brown sugar light or dark
80 g chopped nuts walnuts or pecans work well here
2 teaspoon bread/baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

2 tablespoon black treacle or molasses
30 g light olive oil or another neutral oil such as avocado oil or rapeseed oil
200 g buttermilk
200 g guinness

Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Set it to 170°C (340°F) or Gas Mark 5.
Prepare the Tin: Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin to prevent sticking
Mix Dry Ingredients:In a large bowl, combine the wholemeal flour (sift if possible; coarse wholemeal is fine unsifted), oats, sugar, and chopped nuts.Sift in the baking soda and add the salt. Mix everything well.
450 g wholemeal flour, 25 g old fashioned (rolled) oats, 2 teaspoon brown sugar, 80 g chopped nuts , 2 teaspoon bread/baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the black treacle, olive oil, buttermilk, and Guinness until smooth.
2 tablespoon black treacle or molasses, 30 g light olive oil, 200 g buttermilk, 200 g guinness
Bring It All Together: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir gently but thoroughly until just combined, don’t overmix!
Transfer to Tin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. For a nice finish, sprinkle a few extra oats and nuts on top.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 40–50 minutes. The bread is ready when it’s risen, sounds hollow when tapped underneath, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool Down: Wrap the loaf in a clean tea towel and let it cool completely before slicing.

Video

Notes

EXPERT TIPS

Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can make the bread dense.

Check for Doneness: The bread is ready when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If in doubt, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean.

Use Fresh Bread Soda: Make sure your bread soda (baking soda) is fresh for the best rise and texture.

Tea Towel Trick: Wrapping the freshly baked bread in a clean tea towel helps it cool evenly and keeps the crust from becoming too hard.

STORAGE

Room Temperature

Store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh for up to 3 days.

Freezing Instructions

Slice the bread and wrap individual slices in cling film. Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or pop a slice in the toaster for a quick refresh.

DIETITIAN TIP

When serving this bread, try to include one protein source to make for a more balanced meal or snack e.g., smoked salmon, cottage cheese, cream cheese, hummus, turkey slices, etc.

Additional Nutrition Information

I’ve included an estimated nutrition breakdown for this recipe below. Remember, though, that a recipe is much more than its nutritional content, and these numbers shouldn't solely dictate your food choices.
The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

For more nutrition information and tips, visit www.marialuceydietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊

Nutrition