Description
Ina Garten’s Guinness brown bread combines hearty whole wheat flour with rich Irish stout for a robust, rustic loaf. Warm slices pair perfectly with creamy butter, offering comfort and deep, malty flavors you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240 ml) quick-cooking oats (not instant), such as McCann’s, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2¼ cups (270 g) whole wheat flour, such as Heckers
- 1 (11- to 12-oz) bottle of Guinness extra stout beer, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, shaken
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 5 tbsps (70 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing the pan
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsps kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Salted butter, such as Irish Kerrygold
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C), positioning rack centrally for uniform heat distribution.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk rolled oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
- Liquid Component Integration: In a separate container, gently blend buttermilk, melted butter, Guinness beer, and vanilla extract until smoothly incorporated.
- Batter Formation: Create a central well in dry ingredients, pour liquid mixture, and delicately fold using fingertips to maintain a slightly lumpy, thick cake-like consistency without overmixing.
- Pan Preparation: Thoroughly coat a 9 × 5 × 2½-inch loaf pan with melted butter, then transfer batter, smoothing the surface and sprinkling additional rolled oats for a rustic aesthetic.
- Baking Process: Immediately reduce oven temperature to 400°F (204°C), place loaf pan inside, and bake for 45-50 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Cooling and Serving: Rest bread in pan for 10 minutes, transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, then slice with a serrated knife and serve alongside salted butter.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold ingredients to maintain a light, tender texture; overmixing can result in dense, tough bread.
- Temperature Precision: Start with a high oven temperature of 450°F, then immediately reduce to 400°F for perfect crust and even baking.
- Ingredient Quality: Use fresh buttermilk and a robust dark beer like Guinness for maximum flavor depth and authentic Irish-style bread.
- Cooling Technique: Allow bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms and ensure clean, crisp slices.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg