Gluten Free Irish Brown Bread is a dense and savory bread with a pleasant chew and nutty flavor. It's made with my multigrain flour blend.
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We've made gluten free soda bread before (and it's fabulous!), but when I saw this recipe for Irish brown bread I really wanted to try it with my multigrain flour blend. I have to say, this one might just trump the other one as my favorite. I love a great multigrain or whole grain bread, especially one that can be made in under an hour!
What goes into brown bread?
- Kim's gluten free multigrain flour blend - typically this bread is made with equal parts whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Of course we can't have whole wheat flour, so the best option was to substitute ALL of the flour with my multigrain flour blend.
- Butter - my original gluten free soda bread has no butter at all, but the butter in this recipe enriches the dough just slightly, which is perfect for a multigrain "brown" bread.
- Baking soda - baking soda is the only thing that leavens this bread (no yeast). That what makes it a quick bread.
How easy is it to make gluten free Irish brown bread?
This entire recipe can be made in about an hour, meaning you could have freshly baked brown bread on your table in no time!
Stir together gluten free multigrain flour blend, baking soda, and salt.
Using your hands or a pastry blend, cut butter into flour mixture until the size of coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, mixing until a soft, wet dough forms.
With floured hands, gently shape dough into a round roughly 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick on a sheet of parchment paper. Cut a deep cross in the center of the loaf and place it on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet.
Optionally, brush any little bit of buttermilk leftover inside measuring cup onto top of bread. If desired, sprinkle oats on top. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400 and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes.
Irish Brown Bread FAQs
They're actually both soda breads, but one uses half whole wheat flour and the other only uses white flour. When making it gluten free, we have to use a blend of whole grain flours instead of whole wheat flours to make it brown.
Yes, raisins are a traditional addition to most Irish soda breads and can be added to brown bread as well. You can also add seeds, such as flax seeds and/or sunflower seeds.
Store it well wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
- Dairy free - you can use a dairy-free butter alternative for the butter and you can try a homemade dairy-free buttermilk. More on that below.
- Multigrain flour blend - within the blend itself, there are many substitution suggestions.
How to make your own buttermilk
If you live in a part of the world where you can't get whole-fat buttermilk, don't fret. You can easily make your own. Here are three ways to make buttermilk:
- Milk based -add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk and stir; let sit for 5-10 minutes (or 30 minutes for extra thick). Stir again and use.
- Yogurt or sour-cream based - add ½ cup (120ml) of milk to one cup of yogurt or sour cream; stir and use immediately. (Note: if you use Greek yogurt, you may need to add more milk as Greek yogurt to get the right pourable consistency).
- Plant-based/vegan - add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of plant-based milk and let sit for 30 minutes. OR, add ½ cup of plant-based milk to one cup of plant-based yogurt or sour cream.
More Irish recipes to try
- Irish potato candy
- Gluten free Irish soda bread
- Gluten free Irish cream brownies
- Gluten free rainbow cake
- Gluten free potato cheddar bread
Try my Gluten Free Irish Brown Bread for a quick and easy, but healthy(ish) bread that's crunchy on the outside and soft and wholesome on the inside. Spread with a little (or a lot) Irish butter, it's sure to bring you the luck o' the Irish!
Gluten Free Irish Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 490 grams Kim's gluten free multigrain flour blend (3½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 28 grams butter, COLD (2 tbsp)
- 600 milliliters whole fat buttermilk (about 2½ cups) NOTE: If you use low fat or fat free buttermilk, you'll need to use less.
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- In a large bowl, whisk or stir together flour blend, salt, and baking soda. Add butter in small pieces and use fingers (or a pastry cutter) to "cut" butter (rub and flatten between fingers) into flour mixture until like breadcrumbs.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour the buttermilk into the well. Stir until a wet dough forms.
- Place a piece of parchment paper in a cast iron skillet or onto a baking sheet and mound the wet dough on top. Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a rough 8-inch wide round that's about 2 inches thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the top of the dough. If desired, brush any remaining buttermilk in the measuring cup onto the top and sprinkle with oats.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 400° F and continue to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the bread is split open, golden, and makes a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
- Cool completely (or at least until just warm) before serving. Slice and spread with lots of salted Irish butter.
Laura says
This is a great recipe. Thank you. I tried making the bread for the first time today. Any tips re avoiding it being too doughy inside, but not too hard on the outside? I did add a bit more milk as I was afraid the dough was too dry - perhaps, this is where I went wrong. There was also baking soda in the flour I bought so I didn't include the amount in the recipe - another error?
Kim says
Yes, both of those things could be affecting the outcome.
Kevin A Whelan says
I'm currently working on this recipe and the bread is in the oven. It was hard to shape the loaf even though I floured my hands. I am wondering if my dough was to wet. I used oat milk and vegan butter and used the lemon juice to try and make the oat milk into buttermilk. Anyway, I'll take a pic and send it to you when it is done. I really think it may have been too wet lol.
Kim says
Yes, your substitutions would most likely cause it to be too sticky. You simply can't get the same thickness of whole fat buttermilk when making it from oat milk and lemon juice. I would just use less of it until you get a slightly sticky/tacky dough.