Irish Guinness Bread Recipe – Traditionally Tasty (And Easy!)
We all know appearances can be deceiving. Just one look at the pretty garden forecourt of Gleeson’s Townhouse and Restaurant and you’d think it was where tranquility lived. And you’d be right – almost.
You see, inside that lovely old stone building in County Roscommon, hiding among the atmosphere of old world calm is a kitchen that’s crackling with culinary creativity. In the middle of the steam and the sauces, the chips and the chocolate is head chef Gerry Doyle, the man who has given us this most delicious of bread recipes.
The handsome, chiseled features of Gleeson's Townhouse and restaurant in County Roscommon
The last time we posted a winter warming vegetable soup, you, dear readers, were calling out in your droves for this little cracker – Irish Guinness Bread. And you know your wish is our command! Now, it’s pretty safe to assume that when he was perfecting his famous porter, Arthur Guinness didn’t imagine his creation would go towards making a wonderful loaf of bread. But the fact remains that it does, and when the smell of freshly baked Guinness Bread is wafting around your kitchen you’ll be forgiven for holding a warm buttery slice aloft and saying to both Arthur and Gerry – ‘Cheers!’
Gleeson’s Glorious Irish Guinness Bread
Preparation time 20 minutes. Cooking time 50 minutes. Makes 3-4 loaves.
Ingredients:
Oven-fresh Guinness bread with butter curls and homemade pesto
- 1kg (8.8 cups) wholemeal flour (Wholewheat Flour)
- 500g (4.5 cups) strong flour (Bread Flour)
- 125g (1.1 cups) pinhead oats (Steel Cut Oats)
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of sugar
- 100g (3.5oz) butter
- 1Litre (34fluid 0z) buttermilk
- 350g (12.3 oz) treacle (molasses)
- 150ml (5 fluid oz) Guinness Stout
- 1 level teaspoon of bread soda (Bicarbonate of soda)
- 1 small handful of sesame seeds
Method:
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well and set aside
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the buttermilk and heat until tepid
- Now add the treacle to the saucepan and stir slowly until well combined through the buttermilk
- Remove the pot from the heat
- Add the Guinness and stir
- Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients, add the liquid and stir gently to make a moist paste
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and prepare the baking tin by brushing the inside with butter and dusting with flour.
- Pour the mixture in the tin, sprinkle with sesame seeds and place in preheated oven for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 140°C/275°F and cook for a further 40 minutes
- After removing the bread from the oven, allow it to cool on a bread rack for 10 minutes
- Serve with butter and fresh pesto or homemade jams
What can we say, delicious! Don’t forget to let us know how your Irish Guinness Bread recipe turns out!
Fancy making turning this bread-making into meal-making? We have the know-how for Irish Stew recipe, Irish Vegetable Soup recipe, Irish Fish Pie recipe and even green drinks in the spirit of St Patrick’s day!
OK, could someone please translate the recipe into american? What is “strong” flour? Is wholemeal the same as whole wheat? Pinhead oats???? I can translate the measurements.
Thanks for your help!
Lisa
Hi Lisa! Apologies for not including American translations for some of the ingredients! So to answer your (very valid) questions!
Strong Flour = Bread Flour
Pinhead Oats = Steel Cut Oats
Wholemeal Flour = Wholewheat Flour
Also, it might help to mention that ‘Treacle’ can be substituted for Molasses. If you have such a thing as ‘Light Molasses’ that would work best.
Best of luck with the baking and be sure to tell us how it tastes!
I want to know all about what my Great Grandfather ate.
I too would like a translation for those of us Americans that may be amiss here. Sounds yummy!! Personally, I’d rather just make a trip over there and try it fresh out of the oven at Gleeson’s!
Thanks, Chris
Also, for americans, bread soda = bicarbonate of soda
According to the interwebs, it’s:
2.2 lbs whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand)
1.1 lb bread flour (high protein, King Arthur)
4.4 oz steel-cut oats
A pinch of salt
A pinch of sugar
3.5 oz Irish butter (Kerrygold)
1 l (33.8 oz) buttermilk
12.3 oz molasses
5 oz. Guinness Stout
1 t baking soda
1 small handful of sesame seeds
What are the measurements not acquainted with kg g ml
we go by Tablespoon teaspoon and cup in measurements
I am of Irish descendants so the receipes really interest me My grandmother told me of a Shepherd’s pie my great grandmother used to make Got a receipe for that as well and one for Tea Cakes some sort of cookie ?
Thank you Barbara Baylis
Okay, now I just have to convert the metric into our measurements. Sounds worth it, tho’.
Thank you for the “American” translation David! Can’t wait to try this bread … wishing I was in Ireland vs. Illinois USA. Maybe this and an extra pint of Guinness will take away some of the chill.
As much as I’d prefer being able to read in “Irish” yes, please translate for another Irish-American!
Yum! Would love to try this bread as I’m a big fan of Guinness, but I don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. Could you please provide amounts in American measurements (cups) vs. weights?
Thanks!
Natalie
Sounds delicious!! Have heard of it, and want to try it!!
Must share a quote from a world-famous chef. He said “I always use wine when I’m cooking. Sometimes I even put some in my recipes.”
Me too, Chris. hope to do that this spring or summer! I wonder how far Gleeson’s is from Keedy, in County Armagh!
I need the measurements translated, sorry
Hello,
I appreciate the translation for the ingredients, but I’d also appreciate a translation for the measurements.
I can’t wait to make this bread. We were in Ireland this summer with my son and daughter-in-law and Guiness was first on our agenda.
My son is a soldier stationed in Afghanistan right now, and I’m going to make him a loaf of this bread and send it to him. I know it will make him very happy.
Thanks,
Roberta
I’m with you Chris, but I will make instead. Thanks for the recipe and can I drink some of the stout?????
Hi guys! I’ve made some American English amends to the recipe. Really sorry I hadn’t taken this into account before but hopefully it’s all present and correct now!
@ Kay Allen – well Kay, if he was lucky he may have sampled some Guinness bread! Do you know where in Ireland he was from?
@Chris Mattson – I’m with you on that Chris, a trip to Roscommon may be on the cards!
@ Tessa Finn + Rizzeh – Thanks guys, I need all the help I can get on this one!
@ Carol Goetz – No problem. sorry I didn’t think of it before! Enjoy.
@ Natalie – we might have an Irish Language blog soon so you can speak in Gaelic too!
@ Sara – about two hours drive, definitely worth it!
@ Roberta – That’s a really wonderful idea Roberta, thanks so much for sharing that. We really hope he enjoys it!
@ Beth Hale – of course you can Beth, just remember to let it settle!
Thank you for the American English translation. I hope to make this this weekend! I would also like to thank my college chemistry teacher for insisting that we learn how to use metric measurements in real life. He was certain we were going to adopt the metric system as it is so much easier to use….HA!
Thank yo so much for the updates. I’m going to spend the weekend baking. It’s freezing cold here, and a loaf of warm fragrant bread fresh from the oven with butter and jam will be a wonderful treat. And I’ll send a few loaves to my son in Afghanistan, so he can share with his buddies. Again, thanks so much and we love Guiness, especially straight from the factory.
You’re very welcome guys. Remember, we’d love to hear how the bread turns out! I might even bake a loaf myself this weekend…
Sounds delicious and I would really like to make this recipe, but I live in the Netherlands and it’s difficult to know which ingredients I need. Especially the meal and the treacle is a problem.
Hi Elvi, glad you like the recipe. I’m not sure what you have available in Holland but you could substitute the treacle for golden syrup. It’s not the exact same but it should be a decent substitute. My grandmother makes a brown bread that’s quite like the Guinness bread and she uses honey so if you had no other option you could use that.
I’m not totally sure what you’re referring to when you say meal? Is it wholemeal? Maybe if you tell me all the things you’re having difficulty finding I can do some research for you.
Hello! This looks delicious – and I’m sure won’t) last more than 5 minutes after I’ve taken it from the oven!
I’m not sure what you mean by pinhead oats (Steel Cut Oats) though. Can I just use ordinary porage/porridge oats?
Can I pass this recipe on to friends? Crediting you, of course
Hi Sandi! Not sure you can replace pinhead oats with porridge oats (I know I’ve bought pinhead porridge and it’s completely different in texture and taste to regular porridge oats). We’d love you to pass this recipe along to all your friends! If you do bake it, please come back and let us know how you get on! Same goes for everyone out there who’s giving it a whirl in the kitchen! Must stop typing now…all this foodie talk is making me soooo hungry! Good luck!
must try it – but I wonder: shouldn’t it be 1 ltr. of Stout and 150 mls of buttermilk???
Hello David, My husband and I have been to your Beautiful Country alreay.. I have all of my Mom’s family from Ireland & Scotland.. And while there we had this bread & I mde it from the recipe you put up.. And my husband & I both agree it tastes just as good as when we ate it in Ireland..
Thank You
Linda Kennedy Du’Puis
Hi there Linda. Delighted to hear that the bread turned out well! I’m curious where you tasted the Guinness bread when you were here?
You’re very welcome by the way – we have the lovely people in Gleeson’s to thank if I’m honest!
Did not have trouble with the ingredients, but making 3 to 4 loaves can be a problem if you don’t have a restaurant or other ways to use all that bread. I wanted to try this bread as I have made Irish Brown Bread that we love. Any way to get ingredients for only 1 loaf?
I’m sooooooo excited to make these recipes!!! My in-laws, who are the sweetest people ever, are staying with my husband and I this weekend for a visit. They took Nick and I to Ireland for an anniversary present in September, 2010 and I can not wait to make the Irish Vegetable Soup and the Irish Guinness Bread for them this weekend! And the best part is, not only will I hopefully earn major brownie points from the in-laws and get to give them a small “thank you for taking us to the most beautiful country in the world” meal , but I will also get to enjoy this delicious meal too!!! My stomach is growling just thinking about it! Thank you so much!!!!!
Pinhead oats is simply cut differently. In the USA, buy ” Mc Cann’s Irish Oats” and don’t forget Irish butter is richer that ordinary butter in the US. Make sure it’s Irish butter.
If you Google cooking measurements & terms, there are plenty of websites that will translate into the measurement/terms you are most familiar with so you can do your own ‘translation. I did this for some Indian recipes I downloaded.
Hello WJDB! We’re delighted you found a way to thank your in-laws. Sounds like it’s going to be a tasty weekend at your house! Be sure to tell us how it all goes!
For something called Irish Guinness Bread there’s not a lot of Guinness in it? More is better…BRILLIANT!
Hi David,
We enjoyed seeing the translated and original versions of the recipe. We are helping our kids get in touch with their Irish roots by making your Guinness bread as a family project. Great Grandma McCarthy is smiling I’m sure!
Steven Howlett
Cameron Park, CA
Hey there Steven,
That sounds like the perfect family day! How did the bread turn out? I’m guessing Great Grandma McCarthy was a dab hand at baking bread?
I’m still confused as to measurements! Rizzeh translated; however, was that for one loaf? Was the original as stated for 3 – 4 loaves? Buttermilk in both same amount?
Recipe sounds wonderful, but please clarify. Thanks!
Visited Ireland but Dublin and into north. Will definitely try and return to visit Republic… beautiful, serene country!
It’s me again….YIKES, should have noticed on original receipe it is for 3-4 loaves. Sorry, it still is somewhat confusing in order to make one loaf.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I will try it. Only one issue. I prefer to bake with whole grain only. Do you think i can replace strong flour with whole grain also ? Maybe with a bit more hydration. I can add some gluten to make the dough more resistant to fermentation.
If you ever tried something like this, please let me know,. In this case i can start with my test on a higher level
Love the recipe, can’t wait to try it out! My problem was that I could not print out just the recipe! I ended up with 28 pages when 2 would of done it just fine! Not to worry, I will just recycle the rest of the pages! To visit Ireland is at the top of my bucket list, hopefully sooner than later!
How can the bread recipe be printed? Dashing from kitchen to screen is messy. Noreen.
@Noreen – Hello there! You can print web pages by clicking the ‘File’ tab at the top of your screen and selecting ‘Print’ from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, I would consider this the best idea, you can copy (highlight the recipe and press cmd + c) and paste (cmd + v) the recipe into a new word document.
Hope this helps and happy baking,
David
Is this the same brown bread I ate in Ireland in March for breakfast and lunch???? I so loved that bread toasted or not…
When we were in Dublin last month we had some absolutely wonderful Guinness bread at Bailey Bar and Cafe. I want to be able to make some myself so I searched for a recipe on the internet. Your recipe was the closest I could come to what I thought might be in the bread I had.
I tried making it yesterday and what I produced was a disaster. Either there was too much flour or not enough liquid. There was no way I could “pour” it into the pans. Help please. What did I do wrong? I thought I followed the recipe above exactly. I am so disappointed.
Hi Wendy,
Sorry to hear that the baking isn’t going to plan. It does sound like you’re using too much flour. Perhaps there was some confusion regarding the measurements from metric to imperial.
A range of people had questions about some of the ingredients that may be different in the US. I would suggest reading those on the comment thread here and checking if any of them solve your conundrum.
If they don’t be sure to get back to us here.
Cheers,
David
David,
I will try again using less flour and let you know it comes out. If you could give me a hint of the consistency of the batter when finished that would be helpful. Cake batter? Thicker than cake batter? Somewhere between cake batter and a yeast bread dough?
Thanks,
Wendy
Wow…the bread is delicious. Surprisingly moist and oh so tasty. My Irish daughter- in- law will be so surprised when I serve it at the next family get-together. A word to the wise… measure by weight, not cups and have a wee bit o Guinness while you be cookin.
Thank you for the print out help. Now my bread board is rarely without one of your delicious loaves. And the praise? Head-turning.
Noreen Taylor Greenslade
Is there a different recipe for the Irish brown bread we learned to love on our trip to Ireland? Is it different than the guinness bread ?
LORD! I thought it would never cook! I made it as the recipe says and it took twice as long to cook.
[...] Irish Guinness Bread Recipe – So you’ve made the mushrooms, but now you need some bread to toast. Double up with the draught by making this Irish Guinness Bread and serve it with the mushrooms. DiscoverIreland.com has the simple and quick recipe – no need to wait for the bread to rise. [...]
Is the quantity of bread soda enough? I would think that only 1 level teaspoon of bread soda for 1.5Kg of flour would be insufficient.
Hi Danny,
It’s 500g of flour, not 1.5kg. That would be three times the amount of flour in the recipe.
Hope this helps,
David
Thanks for the reply, but the recipe says 1Kg wholemeal flour and 500g strong flour.
I make that 1.5Kg.
Good point. Well, we haven’t had anyone else commenting with issues so far…
Have you tried the bread already and it’s not rising?
We can always contact the chef if you’re desperate.
Cheers
Mine didn’t rise enough. I was going to put in more bread soda next time.