Irish brown bread is made of special wholemeal wheat flour that gives it a nutty flavor and slightly coarse texture. It’s a staple in the famous Irish Country Breakfast, but you’re just as likely to find it in the bread basket at a fancy restaurant…or enjoy it’s crusty goodness with some wild salmon and butter as an appetizer.

One of the most enticing scents is that of brown bread baking. While there is no yeast used in the recipe, there is a special aroma that alerts the tastebuds that they are soon to be in for a treat. The worst thing about the combination of this aroma and the warmth of the oven still baking that bread is that no Irish baker worth his or her salt will allow the cutting of the loaf before the bread has cooled completely. It’s simply not done. Whether the hot scone is wrapped in a clean tea towel to produce a soft, tender crust or left in the open for a crusty, crumbly loaf, the bread needs to cool before cutting or it will not hold together well and half the loaf will be lost, crumbling under the knife.

Virtually everyone in Ireland uses Odlums Brown Bread mix and makes the mix with buttermilk rather than water. A little sugar is no harm either. A deep cut into the dough before baking will ensure that the bread is cooked through without the pasty lump one could find in the middle of an underdone loaf. If making a round loaf as one would with Irish soda bread, cut a deep cross in the loaf. Be sure the oven is preheated; this too will ensure that your bread is well cooked.

Irish Brown Bread is an economical and healthful alternative to any store-bought bread. It is high in fiber and even has a respectable amount of protein per serving.

Organic Irish Salmon and Butter on Brown Bread

This is a wonderful appetizer for a dinner party or even a light lunch.
The wild Irish salmon and Irish butter lend a distinctive flavor to this delightful nosh.

Cut the cooled brown bread into thin slices. Halve the slices, butter lightly, and add a thin slice of Organic Irish salmon on top of the bread and butter. Enjoy.