This is an Irish Bread for special occasions, like Paddy’s Day. It’s a bit more effort than standard Irish Bread but worth it! This recipe makes a standard loaf-tin-sized loaf. Mix the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients. In a bowl, measure out:
- 250g plain flour
- 200g wholemeal flour
- 15g bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 150g jumbo oats
Mix well. Now add:
- 1tbs honey
- 1 tbs black treacle
- 250ml buttermilk
- 250ml Guinness
Mix well until you have a loose dough – it will be more sticky than a bread dough but don’t worry. Next, line a loaf tin with non-stick baking parchment, and put the dough in the prepared tin. Poke it down so it fills the tin.
Heat the oven to 200C (fan) and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 17C (fan) and cook for 35 minutes. Now take the loaf out of the tin and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes to crispy up the crust. If it sounds hollow when tapped, it’s done!
Allow to cool then eat as fresh as possible. It has a lovely crust and a soft middle. It’s slighty sweeter than normal soda bread but still goes well with everything you can think of, from salmon to cheese to soup to jam.