Irish Brown Bread ~

Hearty, earthy, and rustic no-knead loaf bread.

Serve with Irish Stew for your St. Patrick’s Day feast

Table of Contents

Guinness Beer Bread Recipe

I like this brown bread recipe because it’s an easy way to bring a taste of Ireland to the table. Irish brown bread can be toasted and topped with cream cheese for a sweet and savory breakfast treat. It’s also delicious served with butter alongside a hearty stew.

This quick bread is also made without yeast, so there’s no waiting around for the bread dough to rise. The secret ingredient is dark beer. The high level of carbonation in Guinness stout beer helps to create bubbles in the dough, leading to a lighter, airier texture in the finished bread. Also, the yeast that’s already present in the beer contributes to the rising process. So, while beer isn’t a traditional leavening agent like yeast or baking powder, it effectively serves that purpose for our Guinness bread.

Irish Brown Bread ~ This easy-to-make bread is hearty, earthy, and rustic. A perfect addition to your St. Patrick's Day feast!

Ingredients for Guinness Brown Bread

You will need the following:

1 cup oat milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces Irish stout beer, Guinness recommended

Ingredient Notes

Oat Milk – Unsweetened almond milk also works well for this recipe.
Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is added to the plant milk to give it a buttermilk taste and texture.
Whole Wheat Flour – Traditional Irish brown bread is made with whole wheat flour, which gives it a dense texture and nutty flavor. All-purpose flour can be substituted if needed and will still result in a tasty loaf.
Rolled Oats – Rolled oats give the bread a hearty texture while adding a bit of rustic appeal. If you want to use quick-cooking oats, note that they will still add some texture to the bread, but it will be less pronounced compared to rolled oats and the texture may be softer simply because quick oats also tend to absorb moisture more quickly.
Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar is preferred over light brown sugar in this recipe for its richer flavor and deeper caramel notes.
Butter – I use vegan butter.
Irish Stout Beer – This is an Irish bread so we’re using Irish beer. One bottle of Guinness is all you need and their regular or non-alcoholic beer can be used for this recipe.

How to Make Guinness Brown Bread

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with flour-based cooking spray.

STEP TWO: In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and lemon juice. Set aside. The milk will thicken and curdle slightly as it stands; this is normal.

STEP THREE: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – whole wheat flour, rolled oats, dark brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

STEP FOUR: In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together the milk/lemon juice mixture, melted butter, vanilla extract, and Irish stout beer.

STEP FIVE: In the large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated; the bread batter will be thin, like cake batter. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

STEP SIX: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

STEP SEVEN: When the 35-minute baking time is done, without removing the bread from the oven, reduce the temperature to 325°F. Continue baking for an additional 35 minutes.

STEP EIGHT: When the second 35-minute round of baking is done, leave the bread in the oven, turn off the heat, and open the oven door. Let the bread to cool down slowly in the oven for 30 minutes.

STEP NINE: Remove bread from the oven, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best beer to use for this recipe?

Guinness, for two reasons. #1 – Guinness is vegan. #2 – I mean, really, is there any other beer that says St. Patrick’s Day quite like a Guinness? No, there’s not. So, there you go.

Do I really have to let the bread cool down in the oven?

Technically, no but… you really should and here’s why: A long and slow cool down in the oven is the key to keeping the top crust nice and crisp.

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes You’ll Love!

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