JP Food: Best Guinness brown bread

After 6 years writing my food blog, many of you will know that each Christmas I always get a gift of a new cookbook and this Christmas I was after the new cookbook from the Old Spot, the best gastro pub in Dublin. My amazing brother picked up on the hint and purchased it for me. It is a beautiful cookbook and as always when I receive any new recipe book, I am always keen to start trying out some new recipes.

Ingredients:

400g coarse wholemeal flour

100g plain flour

35g dark muscovado sugar

1 level teaspoon of bread soda (bicarb)

30g salted butter diced and softened

330ml buttermilk

110g black treacle

180ml of Guinness Stout(original stout is best)

50g porridge oats

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 165*C and grease a 900g loaf tin and line with backing parchment paper.
2. Mix all the flours, sugar, bread soda (dry ingredients) together in a large mixing bowl. Then add the softened butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the buttermilk, Guinness and treacle and mix together until well combined.
4. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and scatter porridge oats on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45- 55 minutes (all ovens vary). You know it’s baked once a metal skewer comes out clean. Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely before serving.

 

There is a delicious sweetness to this brown bread loaf.

It’s a simple no-knead bread which in my view is always the best type of bread to bake, especially if you are only starting to bake homemade bread.

Slathered with real butter, served with soup is sheer heaven or as I do, serve in small pieces adorned with smoked salmon, dill and a drizzle of lemon juice / pate provides delicious canapes to serve up at family gatherings.