Treacle bread is a common Irish recipe with variations for every region and family. Similar to sweet brown bread, the dark treacle (or molasses) gives this soda bread a rich, warm taste. Ginger, stout and oats are the most common additions. It’s great with butter, jam, or even cheese.
Treacle Bread Recipe
This is a recipe you can make your own – it can either resemble a brown soda bread or a rich, sweet loaf.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups (500g) flour (ideally half all-purpose, half wholemeal but if you only have all-purpose that’s ok – you can also substitute rolled or porridge oats for up to ½ a cup of flour)
2 tablespoons dark treacle or molasses
1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups (350-400 ml, 12 – 14fl oz) buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
optional: ¼ teaspoon ginger, up to ½ cup porridge oats (swap out equal amount flour), 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar for a sweeter bread, ¼ cup dried fruit like sultanas, ½ cup stout (swap out equal amount buttermilk), 1 egg, 1-3 tablespoons melted butter
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Combine dry ingredients and sift if there are any lumps.
3. Warm the molasses with a little bit of buttermilk either over low heat or in the microwave. Stir until the molasses dissolves. If using sugar and melted butter, add to the warm mixture.
4. Add, along with the remainder of the buttermilk (mix in egg first with the room-temperature buttermilk if using), to the dry ingredients, making a well in the center and stirring outward with a wooden spoon or your hand.
5. When just combined, flip over and either put in a greased and floured loaf tin or form a round and place in a greased and floured oven-safe skillet, round tin or baking sheet. Score lengthwise (for a loaf) or with a cross (for a round) and brush with any remaining buttermilk or egg. You can also sprinkle some oats over the top.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. The bread is done if it sounds hollow after tapping the sides and bottom.
cleite agus cnámh 