For some reason, even though there is zero Irish in my DNA, this seems to be the one holiday besides Christmas where I can actually get on board with creating bakes to celebrate the day (okay, I guess I did have an Easter bake last year as well). And how can you resist when it allows you to come up with something like these Irish Coffee Shortbread Sandwiches?! This year, I’m taking the celebration a bit of a different route and we’re going savory. Yes, that’s right: savory. It’s shocking because I don’t usually do savory as well as I do sweet. Any time I try to cook, I joke that I should create a second blog called The Incompetent Cook (although, that moniker has already been taken).
This Stout & Rye Soda Bread is full of hearty, earthy flavors and it pairs perfectly with a pint of Guinness, a pat of butter slathered across the crumb, and some slices of aged Irish Cheddar (Kerrygold Cheddar was on sale the other day and I needed to buy it for this loaf because it is just so sharp and impossible to resist).
And yes, that is Marmite on the ingredient list down below. The spread is a super salty and strong-flavored yeast extract that is essentially a byproduct from brewing beer, and people are widely divided in the way they feel about it–they either absolutely love it, or completely hate it. Don’t let that scare you away from using it in this bread though. If you ever bought a jar to try, this is a great way to use some of that up! The Marmite in this bread doesn’t provide much of it’s own flavor. Rather, it complements the stout and it amplifies the earthy, savory profile of the bread.
The magical thing about soda bread is that it comes together so quickly with minimal handling. There is a bit of folding in here with some extra flour, but that’s really all there is. You combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet, pour the wet into dry, do a quick bit of folding to bring the dough together and take away the tackiness, then bake. It’s bread making made easy. There is no yeast to intimidate you and no hours of waiting for the loaf to rise. It’s definitely the easiest way to satisfy a craving for a fresh slice of bread.
I like to line my baking sheet and then sprinkle it with a light dusting of flour. There’s something about a slightly floured bottom crust on bread that I just love–a crusty slice that’s been dusted is just so satisfying.
This also goes well with a spreading of butter and a light drizzle of honey to add a bit of sweetness to all the earthiness (there’s some in the dough as well to help lift it a bit) and is best enjoyed the day you bake it or toasted the day after.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40-45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 250 grams all purpose flour
- 250 grams dark rye flour
- 50 grams rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 oz aged Irish cheddar grated
- 200 mL stout beer
- 1 Tbsp Marmite
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 250 mL buttermilk
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper dusted in flour.
- In a large bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, dark rye flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and aged Irish cheddar.
- In a small bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, measure out the stout. Add in the Marmite and honey and stir until combined. Mix together with the buttermilk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix together until a sticky dough forms.
- Lightly flour a countertop, large cutting board, or other work surface, and tip the dough onto it. You may need to use a spatula to get it off the sides of the bowl. Lightly flour the top of the loaf and gently fold the dough about 6-8 times until the mixture comes together and isn't as sticky.
- Shape the dough into a ball and flatten gently. Dust the top of the bread with a light sprinkling of flour and, using a serrated knife, score the dough with a deep cross to divide it into quarters. Try to get close to the bottom of the loaf without actually cutting through it.
- Place on the lined and floured baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and the center of the "x" you created with the scoring no longer looks wet or shiny or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool at least 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before slicing.