Well friends, today is one of those New England winter days that chills me to the bone and gets me thinking about a nice cup of Barry’s with a few thick slices of brown bread to go alongside.

The thing is, I’ve recently moved away from my beloved Dorchester, home of Greenhills Irish Bakery and my favorite loaf of Brown Bread that I’ve found stateside. So what was I to do aside from try to make my own in my own oven?

So, this morning I fired up Google to research some decent recipes and used them as a basic guide.

I did omit any recipes with eggs, as my little one has an egg allergy and I want her to enjoy along with me.

Here’s what I came up with:

2 cups whole wheat flour (I learned that King Arthur brand makes an “Irish Style flour” but I wasn’t able to find any locally today)

2 cups plain white flour

½ cup of rolled oats

2 cups of buttermilk

2 tablespoons molasses

4 tablespoons melted Kerry Gold butter (I left the rest of the stick on the countertop for better spreadability when the bread is done!)

Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix with a spoon or spatula until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto the countertop and give it a few good kneads. Form a round loaf and place on a pregreased baking sheet.

Place the bread in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and slice. Serve with Kerry Gold butter, jam, or if you’re feeling fancy, with a few slices of smoked salmon with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Enjoy!