Sourdough Irish Brown Bread
Sourdough Irish brown bread is a hearty, everyday loaf made with whole wheat flour and sourdough discard. Like soda bread, it’s leavened with baking soda rather than yeast, but the whole wheat flour gives it a sturdier crumb and a deeper, more savory flavor.
For a lighter loaf with a tender crumb, see sourdough Irish soda bread.
If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
If you don’t have a starter, you can make traditional Irish Brown Bread, traditional Irish Soda bread or Oatmeal Apricot Soda Bread.
Table of contents
What makes this a sourdough Irish brown bread?
This Irish brown bread uses sourdough discard for flavor, not fermentation. Like soda bread, it’s leavened with baking soda rather than yeast, so there’s no long rise and no active starter required. Whole wheat flour gives the loaf a heartier texture and a more savory flavor than traditional white soda bread.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Whole Wheat Flour
This recipe uses a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour for a balance of structure and flavor. Using all whole wheat flour will produce a denser loaf. White whole wheat flour can be substituted for a milder flavor.
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour lightens the crumb and keeps the bread from becoming too heavy. For the best texture, avoid replacing it entirely with whole wheat.
How to make Sourdough Irish Brown Bread
- Mix the sourdough discard with the buttermilk.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the bowl until a “shaggy” dough is formed.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly to bring the dough together.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Cut a deep “X” on the top of the loaf, brush with buttermilk and bake.
Recipe Tips
- This dough is so easy to make you don’t need to use a mixer. Mixing by hand helps ensure that you won’t over work and toughen the dough.
- Very old or overly acidic discard can overwhelm the flavor, so aim for discard that smells pleasantly sour, not sharp.
- Cutting a deep X in the top of the loaf before it goes in the oven ensures that it will rise evenly without splitting in random places.
Storage
Sourdough Brown Bread is best the day it’s baked, but will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. Do not refrigerate. The Bread can be frozen as a loaf or pre-sliced.
One of my favorite ways to eat day-old sourdough brown bread is to generously butter a slice of bread then toast in on a griddle until it’s golden brown. Topped with a little jam, it’s heavenly.
Since you’ve got your starter fed, peruse the entire list of My Best Sourdough Recipes. Have fun!
If you find yourself baking with sourdough discard often, it may help to take a look at how you’re maintaining your starter. I explain different feeding approaches—including how to reduce discard if you want to—in my Sourdough Baking Guide.
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Sourdough Irish Brown Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz whole wheat flour (2 cups, see note)
- 2 ½ oz all purpose flour (½ cup )
- ½ oz granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 oz unsalted butter (2 tablespoons, room temperature)
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup)
- 8 oz sourdough discard (1 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together10 oz whole wheat flour, 2 ½ oz all purpose flour, ½ oz granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Add 1 oz unsalted butter and work in with your fingers until fully incorporated and there are no lumps larger than a pea.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Combine 1 egg, 8 oz buttermilk and 8 oz sourdough discard and pour into the well. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough and most of the buttermilk is incorporated.
- Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 15-20 times until combined. Form the dough into a large round ball. Place the dough onto the parchment lined sheet pan and flatten the top a bit.
- Using a sharp knife or a single edge razor blade cut a ½-¾" deep X shape across the top of the loaf. Brush the top of the loaf with buttermilk. Bake for 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown and the internal temperature is 200 °F.
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The bread turned out with a nice crumb & good Irish brown bread flavour. I needed to add a significant amount of extra flour to get the dough to a barely manageable texture – on both occasions that I have made this bread. Sure wish I’d made a note of how much extra, but definitely more than 1/2 c. (Otherwise I followed the recipe.)
Do you weigh your ingredients? If you use volume measurements be sure to “dip and sweep” to fill the cup of flour. How you fill the cup can make quite a bit of difference in the amount of flour. Visit this page to learn more about how to measure flour and other baking ingredients.
An excellent brown bread! The sourdough keeps in moist but otherwise it takes like the classic Irish brown bread. Quick, easy, delicious!
First day nice and moist. Loved it later that day it gets like more bisket. Can I purchase more starter or butter to help this. 1 hour sourdough bread my other recipe is 19 hrs. Can u go 100% white flour?
Thanks Ron
This was easy, healthy, delicious and best of all, quick, thank you!