Brown Butter Whole Wheat Soda Bread.
They are… exciting.
The past few weeks we have done absolutely nothing and the climax of the evening is watching Suze Orman. I wish I was joking. I’m not.
Now most of our conversations go like this:
Me: OMG, there is a Calvin Klein purse on sale and it is sooooo cheap. I know Suze would say no but what do you say?
Him: Is it really “sooooo cheap?” Or is it still insanely expensive and just because it’s 30% off you think it’s “sooooo cheap.”
Me: No, really. It’s cheap. I swear. Suze would say no. I say yes. You are the tie breaker.
Him: DENIED!
Or…
Me: It has been nearly a year since I made lobster mac! Let’s have it this weekend.
Him: I don’t think Suze would approve of a million dollar artery-clogging casserole. Let’s put that money into our (non-existent) emergency fund.
Me: Ugh. Uh… okay. Then what are we going to eat?
Him: How about we pick up some filets?
Me: Are you even serious right now?
Suze
is
everywhere.
Now she’s with me in the grocery store and when I go to the mall and when we eat dinner and when I’m stalking the Williams Sonoma website and even next to my head on my pillow at night. I can’t stop giggling when she tells someone they’re crazy for wanting to install a giant waterfall in their backyard when they are $100K in debt. It’s like a slightly more tolerable version of Nancy Grace or Dr. Phil.
Who am I and what happened to myself?
I even baked my own bread because I thought it was more economical.
Okay, I’m totally lying. I haven’t been that converted… to my husband’s dismay.
I really only baked this bread because I was immediately sold by the terms “brown butter.” I could seriously drink that stuff. I mean… I actually want to drink it. I may have a few (thousand) screws loose.
So I baked it to go with that parmesan orzo.
There is nothing more that I love with carbs than more carbs… spread with butter.
Except maybe laying down and taking a nap right on top of this pillowy loaf. Yes please.
Brown Butter Whole Wheat Soda Bread
{slightly adapted from bon appetit}
makes 2 circular loaves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg white, beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, making sure the rack is in the middle of the oven. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously until golden, about 3-5 minutes. The minute you see little brown specks form at the bottom of the saucepan, remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, salt, pepper, seasonings, baking soda and powder, brown sugar and garlic together. Pour in buttermilk and butter and stir with a fork to bring together. Dough will be fairly sticky.
Set dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until dough is silky and no longer sticky. Divide in half, and form into two equally shaped rounds, about 6 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, 6 inches apart. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with additional seasonings and black pepper if desired. Cut an “x” into the top of the dough that is about a 1/2 inch deep.
Bake breads for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the middle is set. Let cool for 30 minutes, then serve with butter.
Note: this is a soda bread, so it may not be as typically fluffy as yeast breads. It’s slightly more dense and a bit hearty from the oats and whole wheat flour.
I forgot to mention that this bread is insanely easy and completely yeast-free. Get on it.
107 Comments on “Brown Butter Whole Wheat Soda Bread.”
Yum! Fresh baked bread is a huge weakness of mine! This looks fabulous!
I was hoping you would post the recipe after seeing the bread in the orzo recipe post.
I just love soda breads…warm, dense, chewy…could eat the whole loaf in one sitting with a little butter and honey or jam…yum.
Thanks for sharing.
I need this in my life!!
I saw this and wanted to make this right away for supper. Going through the recipe, “got it, got it, got it” and was getting excited then, no buttermilk :( Oh well, tommorrow :)
Do you have regular milk? You can make your own buttermilk with a cup of milk and a teaspoon+ of vinegar or lemon juice!
Really?!? I had no idea. The measurement doesn’t change, still 1 3/4 cup plus the teaspoon of vinegar?
I think the usual call is 1 teaspoon per cup, so I would do 2 teaspoons for that!
Okay. Back on the menu for tonight :) Thanks!
This bread looks great, and those convo quotes are too funny. Love that stuff.
This bread looks delicious! I’ve never heard of soda bread before!
I am such a big fan of breads, with butter and bacon on top :) this one looks amazing, I can almost smell it from here!!! Thanks for posting, I am sure I will find time o bake it!
My boyfriend loves to watch Suze on Saturday nights. He especially loves the “Can I Afford It” segments on engagement rings. We’ve been together for 5 years and I’ve yet to get a ring. He says he will when Suze approves. So he sits on his recliner and rocks while we bicker watching Suze on Saturday nights. We’ve turn into an old married couple without getting married. Such is my life. But your bread looks amazing ;)
I love soda bread! Mmmm! GORGEOUS photos!
We do the same thing on Saturday nights as you guys! Suze is forever in my head, which probably isn’t the worst thing. Save save save.
I watch Suze, too! Too funny! This bread looks to die for!
I want to eat that whole loaf. I want to dip it in seasoned olive oil and tomato soup and eat it plain. Mmmm bread. :-)
I bought a huge thing of buttermilk the other day only to realize that the recipe I was making only called for 2 tablespoons. I think I’ll be using up the rest of the buttermilk with this recipe! Thanks!
YUM! I love soda bread and this looks like it would not disappoint! I love how it has no yeast, because I am a pansy when it comes to yeast.
Is there anything better than the way your house smells while baking bread? I think not. I think it’s worth just sitting around on a Saturday night (which I always do) just to get that heavenly smell.
So when you said Suze is everywhere with you, it immediately brought me back to that Seinfeld episode where someone thinks Elaine is named Suzie and ends with Elaine screaming “Suzie” to the heavens LOL
That said..warm bread and melted butter. Oh, how do I approve of this recipe. It’s almost 5, I’m stuck at work for another hour and my stomach is growling. Logically, the only thing to do to pass time is go on cooking blogs haha
I love soda bread because you can have it done in less than 3 hours! Yours look divine, darling!
I laughed through most of the post… because I hate Suze Orman… like allot. But I always get sucked in I kinda want to smack her everytime… not sure why she pushes my buttons but she does as does Nancy Grace… she’s the worst! Then I saw the words yeast free at the end and scrolled back up to the recipe…. I’m sold on any yeast free bread… Me+yeast= the worst bread ever.
What drives me crazy is how she calls everyone boyfriend and girlfriend. Like “show me the money boyfriend!” Okay… enough.
Oh. My. Gosh. I just made the bread…..and can I tell you that I didn’t (read couldn’t) wait the 30 minutes after pulling them out of the over. I just had my second piece and am waiting for the port sirloin to hurry up and cook already so I can have another piece with dinner! I did a shortcut – I always have the powdered buttermilk stuff on hand because we don’t use buttermilk much – worked like a dream. Thanks, Jess! :)
I’m going to switch some things around and try it with apples! A big hearty bread with sweet soft apple chunks? Perfect for fall!
P.S. I am totally digging the brown butter
I don’t think there is anything better than freshly baked bread, economising or not, it’s just delicious!!! And your brown butter (you had me at brown butter too) soda bread looks AMAZING!!!
I am very much in need of a good bread recipe that doesn’t require a bread maker – thank goodness I cam across your post! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Sounds so good with all of the herbs….looks like you baked this perfectly. Must have smelled so good cooking too.
Just have to tell you once again how much I love love love reading your blog!!! You’re awesome. (I’m sure Suze thinks so too). :-)
Whole wheat flour and oats?? And just 1/2 stick of butter? Who are you and what have you done with Jessica?
I had soda bread the other day and almost choked on it. I constantly have to have a sip of water or dip it in au jus sauce or something to prevent it from being stuck in my throat. Is this soda bread the same way or is it a little easier to swallow?
I can’t believe how easy it was to make! And how awesome it looks and tastes. Thank you!
P.S. Miss seeing you at the Vegan : )
Just realized the note at the bottom saying it’s yeast free. I am DEFINITELY trying this out!!
This bread sounds so easy!!! I can’t wait to make it!
Any reason I couldn’t mix this up using the dough hook on my KitchenAid?
I think you could, it’s just such a simple bread that doesn’t require a lot of kneading since it has no yeast. I didn’t want to drag my mixer out!
I want! Do you think that you could freeze the second loaf??
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This bread was AMAZE!!! I made fondue to go with it and it went perfectly!
Just made this recipe this morning and it is amazing! I could probably eat a whole loaf in one sitting. Thanks for sharing!
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Have I ever proclaimed my love for this bread to you? Seriously delicious. I didn’t have dried basil, so doubled the rosemary and ooohhhhh baby. It was garlicky, rosemary deliciousness. Both loaves were gone in two days.. and that was just between mom, dad, and I. This is our favorite bread, yeast or quick loaf!
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I just did something I would not do under ordinary circumstances … I printed this recipe and gave it to my office manager and said, “I need a favor. I need you to bake this for me.” (She cooks, I don’t.) That is how much I am dying to try this.
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