Avoca Irish Brown Bread

Last summer in Ireland, Angela and I went to a small café in Avoca at the handweavers workshop in Co. Wicklow, and picked up a local cookbook of modern Irish recipes as a souvenir. This recipe is from the Avoca Café Cookbook, with modifications for Canadian terminology and ingredients. It is the best, wholesome, solid delicious brown bread we’ve ever had! Using weight rather than volume for the flour is different, but we love the result! Best eaten the same day you bake it. It freezes well.

200g/6oz white flour
300g/11oz whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp bran
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 heaping tsp baking powder
1 level tsp salt
1 Tbsp molasses
500-900ml milk

Preheat oven to 400°C. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the molasses and enough milk to make a “moist but not sloppy” mixture. Pour into well-greased bread pan (or we prefer to line the pan with baking paper, which makes it much easier to get the loaf out). Bake for 20 minutes at 400°C or until risen, then reduce heat to 325°C and bake for a further 60 minutes. Remove from pan to cool.

For more info on the Café, go to http://www.ireland-guide.com/establishment/avoca_handweavers_kilmacanogue.4151.html.