Irish Brown Bread
3 3/4 cups wholewheat flour
1 1/2 packages / 10 1/2grams / .4ounces dry yeast
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup + 1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons honey (or molasses)
2 teaspoons salt (Myrtle says 1 tablespoon - less worked just as well)
Measure out flour into a bowl. Keep warm in an oven on to lowest setting.
Butter the tin or tins you're using (1 regular or I made 4 small.)
Put 1/2 cup warm water into a smallish bowl. Add yeast, whisk a bit so yeast dissolves. Add honey or molasses and whisk to blend. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes to proof. (Proof means to let the yeast begin to work. After 15-20 minutes, you'll see a thick film of bubbles on the surface of the yeast water.)
Now add another 1/2 cup of water to the bowl. Pour the yeast/water mix into the bowl of warm flour. Mix with spoon to combine.
Add the last cup of warm water to make the dough wet enough (not runny, it should still be sticky.)
Use the spoon to put the dough into the buttered tin/s.
Cover with a tea towel and put the tin/s into a warm spot to allow the dough to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour. The dough only needs to expand by about a third - it should just look nicely puffed.
For small tins - bake for 20 minutes at 210º or 190º fan oven (450ºF). For 1 regular size loaf it will take about 40-50 minutes. Check for doneness: outside should be browned and when you remove from tin - check that all sides seem firm (many recipes say the bread should "sound hollow" when tapped. I find that's an elusive sound. It's a bit of a guessing game. Do test with a cocktail stick to make sure middle isn't gooey.)
Remove from tins and cool on rack - or in oven that's been turned off. All depends on how quickly you'd like to slap some butter on a slice and try out your very own, fresh from the oven brown bread.
Nothing says Irish like a fresh loaf of brown bread. Well, maybe Guinness, but I don't have - or want - that recipe.